The Corpse
by Deus X Machina
Summary: Kagome and her friends are chosen as the new Spirit Detectives while Naraku is lurking in the modern era. Kagome must duel with Naraku, Yusuke Urameshi, and a manipulative Spirit World. Crossover with Yu Yu Hakusho, YYH. IYYYH, IYxYYH, YYHIY, YYHxIY.
1. Kagome Higurashi, Spirit Detective

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho. Now, on with the story.

**The Corpse **

**Ch. 1: Kagome Higurashi, Spirit Detective**

Kazuma Kuwabara tightened his grip on his pencil, trying to concentrate on his research paper while his guest was staring at some martial arts championship on the TV.

"Hey! Urameshi! Turn that thing down. Some of us have work to do!"

"That's your damn problem," Yusuke answered. Since he had been missing for so long, Yusuke was considered a "special case" and managed to get into a high school. However, that did not keep him from skipping class.

"Geez, Urameshi. When are you going to get off your lazy ass and do something with your life? Otherwise, you'll spend the rest of your pathetic life in a dead-end fast food job!" Kuwabara muttered to himself, "Man, that would suck. From a king of Demon World all the way down to a cashier at Wacdnald's (1)."

Yusuke decided not to comment on his friend's newfound ability to use big words like "otherwise" and "pathetic". "It's not my fault that the only thing I was ever good at was Spirit Detective."

"About that," said Kuwabara. "Why haven't you gotten your job back, yet? I thought Koenma and his dad made up."

"That was only because the problems in Demon World were a bigger problem than me. Now that it's under control, more or less, they're right back to fighting. King Yama wants me dead now that I'm back in Human World and Koenma's run away from home again." Yusuke's face darkened. "That's one of the things that sucks about people. The only thing that can stop the hate between two people is an even stronger hate for someone else."

"Now you're talking like Sensui."

"That's not funny."

"It wasn't meant to be." A moment of silence passed over the two former detectives before Kuwabara suddenly gasped.

"What? Spirit senses tingling?"

"I feel…like something really nasty just appeared in our world," said Kuwabara.

"You think so? Demon World's gonna be a relatively peaceful with Enki in charge."

"Well, our worst enemy wasn't from Demon World, if you know what I mean."

'Did I just get zinged by Kuwabara?' thought Yusuke. 'Maybe I should take my schooling more seriously…' Yusuke shuddered, forcing the sacrilegious thought from his mind.

"Besides," Kuwabara continued, "Spirit World is a bigger problem for us than Demon World."

"You think they'll be sending assassins after me again?"

"Well, why wouldn't they. You being a Mazo-whatever. Say, I just thought of something!"

"Congratulations. What is it?"

"Do you think they'll be hiring a new Spirit Detective? I mean, why haven't they sent any other thugs after you?"

Yusuke put his feet up on the coffee table and his hands behind his head. "They're all to weak. If the Spirit Defense Force is the best they've got, then I have nothing to worry about."

**XXXXX**

"I'm home!" Kagome called as she kicked off her shoes. There was no answer. "Hello?" she said again. "Is anyone ho..." Kagome trailed off as she detected the presence of the Shikon Jewel. This jewel was nearly complete, with only a few shards missing. There was only one person who possessed that jewel. Naraku.

And he was in her house.

Without a second thought, Kagome spun around and sprinted towards the old well. But before she reached the well house, a powerful gale blew the door to splinters and sent Kagome flying back to her doorstep. When she crashed into the ground, Kagome looked up to see Kagura, Naraku's arrogant minion, guarding the well.

"Hello, priestess," said the wind sorceress. "Fancy meeting you in a strange place like this. So this is your homeland?"

"What are you doing here, Kagura?"

"Looking for you, of course. And the jewel shards. Are they in your bag, or in that little washcloth you call a kimono? No, no," Kagura said mockingly. "Don't get up. I'll help myself." She rummaged through Kagome's backpack and drew out the bottle containing the shards.

"D-don't move!" Kagome ordered nervously, doing what was simply the riskiest thing she had ever done. She held her wristwatch in her hand and pointed the face towards Kagura. "I don't want to have to use this on you!"

Kagura eyed the strange device, which was barely an inch away from her face. "What is that thing?"

"One of the most powerful weapons of this era," said Kagome.

Kagura called her bluff. "If it were as powerful as you say, you would have used it a long time ago."

"I can't take this thing with me through the well. It's that powerful!" said Kagome.

Kagura glanced at the priestess, then at the shards, then at the watch. With a look of pure hatred, she set down the jewel shards.

"The fan too," said Kagome. Kagura reluctantly laid down her weapon.

"What are you doing, Kagura?" said a voice from behind Kagome. Both women turned to see Naraku, cloaked in a baboon pelt, and flanked by Kanna. Kagura didn't answer.

In desperation, Kagome pointed the wristwatch at Naraku. The demon lord glanced at the little machine before crushing it with the slightest focus of his energy.

Kagome snatched up the jewel shards and ran for her house, holding her breath against a blast of Naraku's miasma. She threw the door closed and locked it before running up into her room and grabbing her bow and arrows.

"Stop right there, Kagome," said the dull voice of a young boy. Kagome turned to see her mother, grandfather, and brother standing in the doorway, all carrying butcher knives.

"What's going on?" she asked in confusion. Her family stared blankly at her as they raised their knives. 'Kanna,' thought Kagome. 'She did this to them!' Kagome threw open the window and, without hesitation, jumped. She stumbled and fell as she landed.

She fumbled with an arrow as she tried to fit it onto her bow. "Release my family, now!" she shouted at Naraku. The hanyou only laughed.

Dark tendrils shot out from under Naraku's baboon pelt. They wrapped around Kagome and slammed her against the wall of her house. They began tightening their grip, slowly squeezing the life out of her. One tendril slipped inside Kagome's pocket to retrieve the jewel shards.

"Iron Reaver!" Naraku's tendrils were shattered as a hanyou's claws ripped through them. Inuyasha landed in front of him, one hand on the Tetsusaiga.

"I thought I smelled you by the well, Naraku." Inuyasha drew the Tetsusaiga and swung at Naraku's head. Naraku jumped back as Kagura stepped forward to confront Inuyasha.

"Dance of Blades." Inuyasha easily deflected Kagura's half-hearted attack. 'What's with her?' Inuyasha thought to himself. 'It's almost as if she doesn't want to defeat me.' He performed a downward slash, which barely missed Kagura.

Kagome nocked an arrow. Inuyasha and Kagura were still fighting, keeping her from getting a clear shot at Naraku. Soon Kagura flew into the air on her feather, intending to attack from above. Inuyasha jumped up towards Kagura and out of Kagome's line of fire. Kagome fired off two arrows. One struck and entered Kanna's mirror. The other hit Naraku.

The glowing pink arrow exploded, destroying Naraku's lower body in an explosion of poisonous miasma. Blinded by the smoke, Kagome fired another arrow in Naraku's general direction.

A pillar of black smoke shot up into the air as the weakened Naraku and his two servants escaped into the air.

"Look!" Inuyasha shouted, pointing into the air. Three orbs of light, souls, were floating back into the house. Kagome sighed in relief.

"Where's Naraku? Did he go back into the well?" she asked.

"No. Look," Inuyasha pointed at the well, where Kagome's arrow had struck. It created a barrier of pink light, one that could have destroyed the weakened Naraku. "He'll be running away, looking for somewhere safe so that he can lick his wounds."

"Well he won't have much luck finding a new body this time," said Kagome. "There's no demons in this era."

"No demons? Do not be naive," said a new voice. Inuyasha spun around, Tetsusaiga in hand, to face a pale, dark-haired woman dressed in a black kimono.

"What do you want?" demanded Kagome.

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Ayame and I have come to you with an offer that I feel will be mutually beneficial."

"What is this?" growled Inuyasha.

"What's this offer?" asked Kagome.

Ayame pointed at Kagome. "You have all that's required to be detective of the Spirit World."

**XXXXX**

Miroku's eyes remained fixed upon the well. It had been only a couple of hours since Inuyasha disappeared down the well, but the monk didn't want to think of the damage Naraku could do within that amount of time, especially in a world where humans were seemingly powerless and had no understanding of demons.

"I hope Kagome and Inuyasha come back okay," whimpered Shippo.

"Don't worry," Sango said reassuringly. "We've had plenty of encounters with Naraku over the years and we've all come out just fine." She didn't sound like she believed her own words.

Shippo's sensitive ears picked up a sound at the bottom of the well. "Someone's coming!" Miroku and Sango jumped up instantly, readying their weapons, while Kirara transformed into her wildcat form.

"Ah!" Sango exclaimed as something flew high out of the well. Without hesitation, the demon slayer hurled her Hiraikotsu at it.

A figure in red jumped off and deflected the Hiraikotsu with his body before landing with a loud thud. A flying oar bearing Kagome and one other rider descended quickly.

Inuyasha stood with a groan. "Ahh, damn, Sango. What was that for?"

Sango sweatdropped. "Eh, sorry!"

Miroku helped Inuyasha up. "Who is that?" he asked.

"Her name's Ayame," said Kagome. "Come with us and we'll explain it."

"Okay. Where are we going, Kagome?" asked Shippo.

"My time."

"What?" Sango exclaimed.

"Oh, yeah. You guys can get through the well now," said Kagome. With that said, she leapt down the well, followed by Inuyasha and the woman named Ayame.

"Uh, okay," Sango said uncertainly. Hefting her weapons, she reluctantly dropped down the well, followed by the monk and the cat and fox demons.

**XXXXX**

"Detective work?" asked Miroku. He and his friends sat around the kitchen table in Kagome's house. Shippo was scurrying around, absorbed in the many strange machines of his friend's era.

"What's a detective?" asked Shippo.

"A detective is a person who solves mysteries and catches criminals," Kagome explained. "Spirit World adjusted the well to allow all of you to come here. That was one of my conditions for accepting their request."

"You see," said Ayame, withdrawing a thick folder of papers, "the hanyou Naraku, along with the Shikon Jewel, disappeared 500 years ago and did not reappear until today. Back in the Feudal Era, Spirit World did not have the power it has today and we have no intention of letting the Sacred Jewel return to a world where demons hold sway. If you aid us, Spirit World will provide help in finding and fighting Naraku. Also, we will tell you where to find the remaining shards of the Jewel."

"This is quite a generous offer," said Miroku. "But what do you want in return?"

"All that we want is for you to carry out the proper duties as Spirit Detectives," said Ayame. "Take out our enemies and protect the humans. That is all."

Kagome seemed uncertain. To her, Spirit Detectives sounded too much like some kind of assassin. But she didn't want to go back to searching for Naraku on her own, groping around for him blindly. "All right. We have a deal."

**XXXXX**

Wacdnald's- the obvious parody of the word "McDonald's" used by Rumiko Takahashi to avoid copyright infringement.

Yeah, there's a lot of IYxYYH crossovers out there, but I'm a big fan of both these shows and I couldn't resist. Besides, they fit together almost seamlessly. I'm sure that IY and YYH take place in the same universe. Yeah, I'm weird like that.

I currently have seven and one-half chapters typed up. I can't say I'll update regularly, but I want to make sure I don't sacrifice quality in my rush to update.

I hope you enjoy the story!

DXM


	2. The Dying Wish of the Black Angel

**The Corpse**

**Ch. 2: The Dying Wish of the Black Angel**

Kagome's grandfather rummaged around the temple gift shop, performing useless tasks to take his mind off of what had just happened. "That foolish girl!" he muttered. After defeating that demon, Kagome had insisted on kicking her family out of the house so she could discuss some insanity with her strange friends from the Feudal Era.

The bell on the door rang. Grandpa's latest customer was a Caucasian blond boy with the peaceful, content appearance of someone who had gone through hell and survived, benefiting from the experience. He stopped to look at the rack of souvenirs.

"Those are Shikon Jewel key chains," said Mr. Higurashi, always eager to expound some ancient myth. "Five hundred years ago, the Shikon Jewel was supposed to give its wielder incredible power and even grant wishes."

"I know the story," the boy cut Higurashi off.

"Really? How would a foreigner know about this Japanese tale, especially one that is so obscure?"

A tiny scowl appeared on the boy's face, but it soon faded. "I assure you, I'm Japanese, born and bred. As for how I know this legend, someone told it to me a while ago. The Jewel was supposed to bring misery to everyone associated with it."

"Nonsense! The Jewel granted a person his heart's desire."

"And the people's pursuit of it always caused such pain to themselves and others."

"You seem to know quite a bit about the Sacred Jewel. What's your name?"

"Kiyoshi Mitarai."

**XXXXX (flashback)**

They were motley band of psychics, each with different pasts and different powers, but united as warriors in a crusade of hatred and justice. These twisted warriors huddled together in the cold bowels of Demon's Door cave, waiting for their leader to speak.

"The Spirit Detective and his team will be returning from the tournament in a matter of days. The final part of our plan is about to begin. With that in mind, we must consider the possibility that our plan might fail."

His statement surprised his colleagues. Gamemaster groaned while Gourmet responded with a bewildered "huh?" Doctor gave an angry hiss of protest, seeing the statement as heresy. Seaman's stomach twisted in knots, hating the thought of returning to his old life. Sniper, the most level-headed member of the group, remained silent, seeing no reason for an emotional outburst. Yet all the psychics were surprised. How could Black Angel, the world's savior, even acknowledge the possibility of failure?

"Calm down," said Black Angel. "I am simply telling you what to do should this plan fail. I am certain that Spirit World will take whatever steps it can in keeping you all alive. If that is so, then I must pass on the story of the Shikon Jewel." As he said this, a flicker came from the dark gem set into his forehead.

"Hmm? What's that, boss?" asked Gourmet.

"The Shikon Jewel was a talisman of incredible power, with the ability to increase one's strength or even grant wishes. Needless to say, the thought of having their desires fulfilled and their hungers eased brought out the worst in any human who heard of it, though the greed of a human can never be satisfied. Wherever the Jewel went, it sowed conflict and death amongst the humans and demons it found. The Shikon Jewel was a bane upon humanity, nearly as great as the demons themselves."

"Why are you telling us this, Mr. Sensui?" asked Sniper.

"The Shikon Jewel disappeared five hundred years ago. If the tunnel should fail, I want you all to search for the Shikon Jewel and bring it back into the world of men, to plague humanity once more."

**XXXXX (end flashback)**

"Well, it seems I've been running into lots of Jewel enthusiasts lately," said Higurashi. Seeing Mitarai's questioning look, he said, "Another young man came last week. In fact, he said the same thing as you, almost word-for-word. Yes, it was quite an interesting conversation."

"Did he give his name?"

"Uh, Kaname, or something like that."

"Hagiri? Black-haired boy with weird violet eyes?"

"Well, I don't know his family name, but he did have strange eyes. You know him?"

"Yes, we're…old friends. Did he tell you where he was staying? I'd like to visit him."

"No," said the old man. "All he did was offer a quick prayer, buy an ema, and leave. Very interesting boy, though. He may look like a teenage bad-boy out of a movie, but he's really quite intelligent. He has the intellect worthy of the best philosophers of our history. If you see him, tell him not to waste it."

"I will." On impulse, Mitarai paid for a Shikon Jewel keychain and left the gift shop.

Mitarai wandered around the shrine, pausing at the rack where the ema were hung. "Ema" were wooden tablets bearing the image of a horse, snake, or some other portrait. Shinto worshippers would write a wish onto the tablet and hang it at the shrine. Mitarai scanned the wooden tablets, hoping to find the one that Sniper had written. Attendance at the shrine seemed low, so there were only a few ema to sift through before one caught his eye.

It read, "If the gods truly love this world, then they want human atonement as badly as I do. Help me unleash the Shikon Jewel upon the Earth once again. Watch over me, Mr. Sensui." Mitarai turned the ema over to see the portrait of an arrow. How appropriate. Mitarai pocketed the ema, along with his new keychain, and left the shrine.

**XXXXX**

"Hey, Urameshi!" Kuwabara pounded on his friend's apartment door.

Yusuke lazily hoisted himself off the couch and drudged to the front door. "Hey Kuwabara. What's up?"

"Mitarai showed up to school with this today." Kuwabara held up Sniper's ema.

Yusuke read it over and chuckled. "Well, I guess there's still some freakin' lunatics running around, even now that Sensui's gone," he said, tossing the ema onto the couch. "Wanna play Tekken?"

"WHAT? Urameshi, have you forgotten what Sensui's Seven tried to do?"

"Yeah, yeah, the whole 'unleash homicidal demons into the world' thing. But there's nothing to worry about. Sniper might've been tough, but he's nothing but a thug. He's useless without Sensui. Besides, what's so bad about this Shikon Jewel?"

"Mitarai said that it could make a demon a hundred times more powerful and grant wishes. It disappeared five-hundred years ago."

"Then what's the problem?"

"Remember that feeling a got a couple days ago? Maybe this Jewel thing is what I've been sensing."

Yusuke glanced at Kuwabara from the corner of his eye. Though he didn't want to admit it, Kuwabara's premonition had Yusuke on edge. "Fine. If it'll make you feel better, we can go over to Koenma's place and see him about it. You're driving."

The two former Spirit Detectives arrived at Koenma's small, sparsely furnished apartment. The dethroned Prince of Spirit World had been hiding out here ever since Yusuke returned to Human World, secretly receiving information from Botan.

"Toddler! Are you home?" Yusuke called.

"Maybe he's at his daycare," said Kuwabara. "Or with a really hot babysitter." The two boys shared a laugh at the Prince's expense before…

WHAM! WHAM!

Yusuke and Kuwabara crumpled to the floor, lumps on their heads. Standing over them was a teenage Koenma, holding a cooking pot. "Sorry," he said in voice that held no sorrow. "I thought you were from Spirit World."

"Really?" groaned Kuwabara.

"No. Now get up and come into the kitchen. I have important news for you. Kurama's already here."

Yusuke and Kuwabara found the redhead fox demon sitting at the kitchen table, sipping a cup of tea. "Yusuke, Kuwabara," he nodded in greeting.

"Hey, Kurama. So, what's the news that Koenma's got for us? Another message from Botan?"

"Yeah," said Koenma, motioning to the laptop on the table. "They've hired a new Spirit Detective. However, this detective is working for a price," continued Koenma. "She's a priestess hunting for this." He turned the screen to face the detectives. On it was the image of an orb of pink glass.

"What's that? A marble?" asked Kuwabara.

"That's the Shikon Jewel, idiot," said Koenma.

"That's it? I always thought something so scary would look, y'know, cooler."

"Yeah, whatever," said Koenma. "Wait, you know about it?"

"Yeah, Mitarai mentioned it. We think Sniper might be going after it."

"I doubt that Sniper will make any real progress," said Kurama. "Spirit World will keep an eye on him. Now, Koenma, what is the nature of the new detective's deal with Spirit World?"

"Spirit World promised to aid her search for the Jewel in exchange for working for them. It won't be long before they send her after us."

"So, what are we going to do about it?" asked Yusuke.

"We have very few options," said Kurama. "Perhaps our best option is to take her life before she is sent after us. Otherwise, we have to wait for her to come to us and hope that she realizes the error of her ways."

"We kill her?" Koenma exclaimed.

"Yes," said Kurama. "Keep in mind that we have abilities that the human police do not understand. I doubt that they would have enough evidence to convict us."

"Nuh-uh. No way!" said Kuwabara. "I ain't killin' any humans, especially a girl."

"I admit, I'm reluctant to do so as well," said the fox demon.

"No reason to anger Spirit World more than we have to," said Koenma.

All eyes turned to Yusuke. The delinquent flung his feet onto the table and closed his eyes. "All right, we won't kill her. But if she comes after us…" He formed his thumb and index finger into a gun. "Bang."


	3. Demonic Sharpshooter, Kaname Hagiri

**The Corpse**

**Ch. 3: Demonic Sharpshooter, Kaname Hagiri**

Normally, Kaname Hagiri would kill his prey from a distance, where he could avoid detection. But for scum like the man in front of him, killing at a close range somehow seemed fitting.

The target was the epitome of everything the middle-class resented: fat, rich, and smug. Dressed in a gaudy robe of fine silk, he scrambled up onto his oversized bed with a look that only a man facing certain death could wear.

Sniper drew a nail and sent it flying into his forearm, right next to the first. He fired a barrage into the man's arm, finally blowing it away. The billionaire collapsed on the bed and writhed about, his blood turning the white sheets red.

"Wait!" he shouted through tears. "Who sent you? I can double what they're paying! Triple it!"

Sniper's stoic face darkened as he rolled a marble in his hand. It looked totally innocent, with a bright orange swirl trapped inside the clear glass. "You're an inch from death and you still think about nothing but money. Did you ever think that a person could be motivated by something else?" The marble shot through the poor man's head and embedded itself into the gilded headboard behind him.

Sniper tensed and snatched out a handful of dice as he heard footsteps approaching. 'Demon energy?' he thought, recognizing the strange sensation.

The demon that approached him was humanoid, with the exception of pointed ears and red eyes. She was dressed in a high-quality kimono and her hair was tied up with feathers. "Are you the assassin Kaname Hagiri?"

He nodded. Prior to his association with Sensui, Sniper had been a professional assassin. "Call me Sniper."

"Very well, Sni-per," she stumbled over the nickname, as if the word "sniper" was unfamiliar to her.

"What exactly do you want?" Sniper asked.

"Assistance," answered the demoness. "It is my understanding that you desire the Shikon Jewel."

A look of surprise flashed across Sniper's face. Had this woman seen his ema? "Yeah. What about it?"

The woman reached into her sash and drew out a tiny piece of pink glass. She carelessly tossed it to Sniper, where he snatched it out of the air. Instantly, he felt a surge of power run through him. He felt the demonic energy crackling at his fingertips. 'My Territory has grown,' he thought. 'It could cover the entire city by now! This must be a part of the Jewel.' He asked the woman, "Who are you and why are you giving me this?"

"My name is Kagura, the Wind Sorceress. I come on behalf of Naraku, who desires your assistance in a matter concerning the Shikon Jewel. Dispose of some of Naraku's enemies and the Jewel will be yours to make your wish." She handed him a piece of paper. "You can find us here," Kagura said. "The gods have answered your prayers, Sniper. I suggest you take our offer." With that, Kagura leapt out the window and flew off on a giant feather.

**XXXXX**

Naraku gasped as another fit of nausea washed over him. Like the last time he had been struck by the priestess's arrow, he was dead from the chest down, much of his body being no different from the corpses animated by Kagura's magic.

The great mansion he was staying in was set with a powerful barrier that warded off human and Spirit World detection. However, the barrier did nothing to hide the mansion from demons. The high levels of demonic energy coming from this place had drawn him here and the resident demons had allowed him to stay.

Naraku himself stayed in a vast bedroom that greatly resembled the room where Kagura had met Sniper. The walls were inlaid with polished gold and decorated with detailed paintings. The windows and bed were draped in long, thick curtains. This room was probably considered beautiful by the standards of this era, though it sorely needed maintenance.

One of the occupying demons told him that this mansion had once been used by a human named Sakyo, who ran a demon slave trade. The demons who inhabited the mansion were, for the most part, former prisoners of Sakyo.

The demons had come into possession of the house during a bloody ritual called the Feast of Human Vices, an orgy of violence where Sakyo's business partners, the Black Black Club, indulged in the torment of their demon prisoners. A powerful warrior, known only to them as Sensui, appeared and slaughtered every human in the mansion while leaving most of the demons untouched. He disappeared, leaving nothing but the name shouted by his partner Itsuki.

Naraku watched Kagura's exchange with Sniper through Kanna's mirror and smiled despite his pain. Sniper had the two things that would make him a perfect ally: great power and great bitterness. Also, the assassin knew this era well and, as Naraku had told Kagura, he would not be frightened by a mere timepiece.

Naraku was startled as the wooden door flew open on its hinges and banged against the wall. A group of more than ten demons entered the room. "What is the meaning of this?" Naraku asked.

"We're not too happy about caring for a sick half-breed," sneered the leader, a green skull-faced demon.

"We've decided to take you out!" said his companion, an ugly spider demon.

"Charge!" shouted a goat demon. With a great yell, the demons bared their fangs and prepared to end Naraku's life.

"Kanna!" Naraku said in a commanding tone. The pale girl stepped forward. Her mirror glowed. The attacking demons froze in their tracks and dropped silently as Kanna's mirror drew in their souls.

"What an opportunity," Naraku said, an idea forming in his mind. He would perform the spell soon. But first, he had to deal with Sniper.

**XXXXX**

Sniper's motorcycle roared down the mountain road, the loud engine giving a break in the silent forest night. He rode down the deserted road towards the place Kagura had told him to go.

"Hold it!" shouted a voice. Something slammed into the ground in front of him. Sniper stopped his bike. Before him were three gigantic demons with deformed heads and worm-like bodies.

"You possess a shard of the Shikon Jewel, do you not?" said the leader. "Hand it ov…" He never finished his statement as Sniper sent a nail flying through its head.

'Not only is my Territory larger, but my attacks are stronger too,' thought Sniper. 'I never could have blown a weapon through that demon's head before.'

The other two demons charged at him. Sniper revved his motorcycle and shot forward, skillfully avoiding an attack that left one demon's head embedded in the earth. The second demon shot a stream of green acid from its mouth. Sniper swerved to avoid it. He launched a pair of dice, blowing out the creature's eyes.

"I can still hear you!" shouted the blinded demon. Sniper stopped his motorcycle and grabbed a handful of pebbles from the ground, launching them all at once. The burst of shrapnel tore deep gashes into the demon's skin. Sniper took a small butcher knife from a container on his motorcycle and shot it straight into the demon's mouth and down its throat.

The demon made a gurgled scream as smoke began to flow from its mouth. The butcher knife had ruptured its venom producing gland and now it was being burned away from the inside by its own acid. The demon stopped twitching as small holes melted open in its outer flesh.

The third demon managed to dig its head out of the ground and turned. "You defeated them? That just means I get the whole shard to myself!" The demon attacked, fangs bared.

"You don't pretend to be remorseful when you're not. That's more than I could expect from a human. You have my respect," said Sniper. He snatched a large rock off the ground and fired it. The rock hit the demon worm straight in the face and shot through, tearing down the length of its body. It exited the worm's tail end in a burst of gore, leaving the demon as a hollow tube of blood.

**XXXXX**

Kagura was waiting on the doorstep of the mansion. Though Sniper was human in body, his demonic power would allow him to find the mansion. Sure enough, she heard Sniper's contraption coming up the road. The assassin stopped right in front of the doorstep.

"Welcome, Kaname," said Kagura.

Sniper removed a bundle attached to the back of his bike and tossed it at Kagura's feet. It was the head of a demon, both eyes blown out. "What is the meaning of this?" he asked.

"Sorry about that. Not all the demons in this area are loyal to my master. Please, come inside."

Sniper was led into an opulent ballroom that looked as if it had seen better days. In fact, this entire mansion seemed to have been deserted for years, occupied only by demons who had no interest in maintenance. It was also very dark, lit only by fire torches. Clearly, the demons didn't pay the electric bill.

"What's so funny?" asked Kagura, hearing Sniper's soft chuckle.

"Nothing. Where's your boss?"

"I'm right here." A demon wrapped in the pelt of a baboon melted right out of the shadows only a few feet in front of the assassin. Sniper fought the urge to gag at Naraku's stench of decay and rotting meat. "Welcome to my home, Sniper."

"You must be Naraku."

"That is correct."

"You want me to take some people out?"

"Yes." Naraku motioned Kanna forward. The faces of Kagome, Inuyasha, and their team flashed across the glass as Naraku told Sniper of each one.

"Where can I find these people?" Sniper asked when Naraku had finished.

"At the same shrine where you wished for the Shikon Jewel."

"How fitting. I think we can work something out."


	4. Naraku's Hired Assassin

**The Corpse**

**Ch. 4: Naraku's Hired Assassin**

"I refuse to come out wearing nothing but this!"

"Come on, Sango. It's not that bad. Those clothes are very tasteful by the standards of this era."

"Well by _my _standards, Kagome, these clothes aren't fit to be underwear."

"You think so? Why don't I send in Miroku and see what he thinks. MIRO…"

"Okay, okay! I'm coming out." Sango stepped out of the mall changing room. She stepped out wearing a tight pink T-shirt and a skirt that stopped just above the knees. They might have been tight, but they certainly weren't revealing.

_"ARRRRRRGH!"_

"That's Miroku's voice!" cried Sango. Forgetting all thoughts of modesty, Sango dashed out of the changing rooms to find Miroku. Kagome giggled. Sango's feelings for Miroku were so obvious. She quickly gathered up the clothes Sango had borrowed from her and hurried out after her, following the sound of Miroku's screaming.

They found Miroku rolling on the ground, clutching his face, with a young woman standing a good distance away from him.

Sango knelt beside him. "Miroku, what happened?"

"Sango, is that you?" the monk asked in a frightened voice. "I can't see!"

"It's me. Everything's okay, Miroku. What happened?"

"I'll tell you what happened!" the woman yelled angrily. "He was being a total pervert, that's what!"

"And that explains why he's been blinded?" asked Sango.

"I'm in hell! Why, Buddha, why?" Miroku moaned. Sango and Kagome almost felt pity for him.

"You hit him with pepper spray, didn't you?" asked Kagome. The woman nodded. Kagome sighed in exasperation.

"What's pepper spray?" asked Sango.

"It's something that people carry around for self-defense. It doesn't kill, but it hurts when you get it in the eyes. Women use it on lechers like Miroku all the time."

"I never would've touched you if I knew this would be my punishment!" Miroku wept. "Please forgive me! I'll never do it again!"

Sango turned to the woman. "Hey, where can I get some of that stuff?"

**XXXXX**

"Whoa! Yeah!" Inuyasha wrestled with the controls of the Goblin City arcade game. Shippo clung to his shoulder, mesmerized by the bright images and sound effects. Inuyasha wore a cap over his dog ears along with some of the few street clothes that Kagome's grandfather owned. Shippo wore some of Souta's old clothes and used his illusionary magic to appear as a young human boy.

"Thanks for teaching us how to play, Amanuma," said Inuyasha.

"Yeah, that was awesome!" said Shippo.

The boy with light brown, spiky hair smiled back. "It was my pleasure. After all, it's not right that a guy Inuyasha's age has never even heard of video games!" A mischievous twinkle appeared in his eye. "Besides, how often do you get a chance to teach two demons how to play games?"

The looks of surprise on the demons' faces would warm Amanuma's heart for years. Inuyasha grabbed him by the collar and snarled, "How did you know?"

"You're not going to tell anyone, are you?" said Shippo.

Amanuma held up his hands. "Relax, relax. I won't tell and even if I did, no one would believe me." Inuyasha set his gaming teacher down.

"So, how is it that someone your age knows about demons?" asked Inuyasha.

"It's a long story, and it's not something I'd tell to some guys I've known only a day. Maybe some other time…" He trailed off. "Do you sense that?"

"A demonic aura," said Inuyasha. He reached for the long bag that contained Tetsusaiga.

"A psychic's Territory," said Amanuma. "I'm getting out of here."

"Hold it!" Inuyasha grabbed the back of his shirt. "You're just leaving us?"

"Sorry, but my abilities aren't too well suited for fighting an opponent like this one. Later!" Amanuma dashed off.

"It sounds like Amanuma knows this demon," whispered Shippo.

"Never mind. Let's find the others." They hurried to the appointed meeting spot, a large and noisy food court where the others were already waiting. "Hey, do you guys sense… Miroku, what happened to your eyes?"

"Never mind," said Miroku grumpily. "Let's talk about that demonic aura. It's gigantic. It probably encompasses this entire marketplace."

"Let's go outside and take a look around," said Kagome. They gathered up their bags and went outside, where diners ate on outdoor patios and shoppers headed for their cars.

"Even if we can find this demon," Sango said softly. "How can we fight it? There are bystanders everywhere."

"We'll think of something," said Inuyasha.

"I sense a Sacred Jewel shard," Kagome said suddenly. "It's this way."

The shard was on an outdoor balcony of a restaurant on the second floor. "Let's just head back inside to get it," whispered Kagome. A spurt of blood suddenly shot out from her forehead. Kagome fell backwards, blood gushing from her forehead.

"Kagome!" cried Inuyasha. Abandoning all caution, he reached into his bag and drew the Tetsusaiga. Kagome was unarmed, Miroku's Wind Tunnel couldn't be used in such a crowded area, and Sango was only carrying a couple knives. Inuyasha was the only one who could fight.

A young man in a red jacket leapt down from the balcony, holding something in his hand.

A strange object shot towards Inuyasha. The hanyou blocked it with his sword just in time. The blade rang as the glass marble shattered against it.

The man held out his hand, which contained several pebbles. He flicked them, one by one, at Inuyasha. Inuyasha slashed back and forth with the claws of his free hand, turning the pebbles to dust.

The man lowered his hand. "Very impressive, Inuyasha."

"Who the hell are you?"

"You can call me Sniper. And yes, Naraku sent me." Tell Inuyasha everything about our agreement. Those had been Naraku's instructions.

"Why are you working for him?"

"I want to make a wish on the Shikon Jewel."

Behind Inuyasha, Kagome lay on the ground, her breathing becoming quick and shallow. Her face was smeared with blood and Sango held a red-soaked cloth to her forehead. Most bystanders had run away at the sight of Inuyasha's sword.

"You're gonna pay for what you did to her!" snarled Inuyasha.

Sniper didn't respond. "Deathprint Bull's Eye." Waves of light issued from his hand. Inuyasha felt concentrations of Sniper's energy on various points of his body. He pulled open his shirt to see a black dot surrounded by two circles over his heart. Similar marks appeared on his arms, thighs, back, and forehead.

"What did you do to us? What are these?" demanded Sango. She, Miroku, and Kagome had similar marks on their foreheads.

"They're targets." Sniper demonstrated by scooping a handful of gravel from the sidewalk and tossing it into the air. "I can hit them from anywhere in the world and with whatever bullets I want." The pebbles froze for a moment before shooting down towards Inuyasha. Some circled around and aimed for the mark in his back. With two swipes of his sword, he shattered them all.

"Very nice. Now so long as you never let your guard down, you'll be safe. You'll never be able to go anywhere without looking over your shoulder. Enjoy living in fear, Inuyasha. While you still can." Sniper climbed onto the back of a large, blue contraption that had been waiting by the sidewalk. The machine let out a loud roar and sped off.

"Hey! Get back here!" Inuyasha ran after the motorcycle.

"Inuyasha!" Miroku called. "We have to stay with Kagome."

A stranger knelt beside them. "We called an ambulance. Help will be here soon."

"Fine! You guys wait here for the healers," said Inuyasha. "I'm going after Sniper."


	5. Sniper's Long Range Attacks

**The Corpse**

**Ch. 5: Sniper's Long Range Attacks**

Sniper peered through his binoculars, waiting for Inuyasha to come down the road. He sat beside his motorcycle on a high hill in a forested area, much like the area where he had fought Urameshi. He was on the outskirts of town and relatively close to the edge of his Territory. However, when your Territory was big enough to cover a city, being near the edge was still plenty of space.

Sniper rubbed his eyes tiredly. The sun was beginning to set and he had no idea why Inuyasha was taking so long to find him. Naraku had said that Inuyasha could follow his scent.

Sniper felt a strong gust of wind on his back. "Kagura, is that you?"

"Yes. I brought what you asked for." Kagura handed Sniper a flask. "Drink this and you won't need sleep for weeks."

Sniper downed all of the potion inside. The stuff burned down his throat and warmed his stomach. His weariness soon faded. Without a word, he tossed the empty flask back to Kagura.

Kagura held out a second flask. "This is a perfume that will allow your scent to blend in to the trees. You'll need it against Inuyasha." Uncorking the bottle, she unceremoniously splashed the contents of the bottle onto Sniper. The assassin bore it all in silence.

After waiting a moment, Sniper asked, "Are you still here?"

"Something wrong with that?"

"No, but I'd like to know why you're here when you're clearly not needed."

"Hmph! I'm just here to observe." Kagura nudged one of the knives on the ground with her toe. "Why do you need all of these?"

"Naraku is an inefficient killer. He's sadistic and wants an execution to be painful and cruel. I'd prefer to finish them all off quickly, but I won't disobey my employer. Within reason."

"Twenty-six knives is reasonable?" Kagura asked sarcastically.

"This is my job and I'll handle how I want to. If you're going to be an observer, then float up on that feather of yours and observe."

Kagura rode atop her feather into the air, smiling inwardly. The naïve human had no idea what Naraku had planned for him. The hanyou had no intention of surrendering the Sacred Jewel. Naraku, who reveled in hatred and sorrow, had no interest in the quick and simple destruction of humanity that Sniper desired. After Sniper had taken care of Inuyasha's group, Naraku would kill him.

"He's coming," said Sniper. He placed his binoculars back into the storage on his motorcycle. Pulling out some marbles, he tossed them lazily into the air and let them find their way to Inuyasha.

Inuyasha drew his sword the moment he saw the marbles approaching. They struck the broad blade, causing a high ring. Inuyasha ran and stood before Sniper. "Say your prayers, Sniper. You're gonna pay for what you did to Kagome!" The wind began to swirl around Tetsusaiga's blade. "Wind Sc- augh!" Inuyasha was struck down by a pair of dice.

"The Wind Scar, hm? That must be quite an effective technique. I'll have to keep my distance." Sniper hopped onto the motorcycle and started the engine. "But let me show you this first!" The twenty-six knives shot into the air, barely missing Kagura.

"Hey! Watch where you're flinging those!" shouted Kagura, as her feather evaded the knives.

With a wave of his hand, Sniper sent a barrage of sharpened steel flying towards the dog-demon. Inuyasha leapt into the air. The knives sailed past him. He turned quickly, fearing that the knives would aim for the Deathprint Bull's Eye in his back. Instead, the knives kept flying away, eventually disappearing from sight.

"Ha! And you said that you could hit me from anywhere! There's nothing more pathetic than a guy who can't live up to his boasts," said Inuyasha.

Sniper chuckled sardonically. "You don't get it, do you? You must realize by now that my Territory covers the entire city. Those knives were never aimed for you. They're aiming for your friends, wherever they might be."

"_WHAT?_"

"You're on a time limit, Inuyasha. You have to find me and finish me off before those knives find your friends, avoiding my attacks the whole time. And don't forget all those poor people who'll just happen to be in the way." Sniper zoomed away into the trees.

"Wind Scar!" Inuyasha destroyed several trees, but the Bull's Eye was still etched into his skin, meaning that he had missed Sniper. His sensitive ears could no longer hear Sniper's vehicle. Inuyasha decided to head for the place where he had last heard it.

Inuyasha found the vehicle parked beneath a tree. He listened intently, but Sniper was skilled in concealing himself, even from a dog-demon. 'Why can't I smell him?' Inuyasha wondered. His ears perked up as he heard a rustling in a tree. He sliced it in two with his Tetsusaiga, revealing nothing. "Just the wind," he thought as he watched leaves fly up from the fallen tree. He was about to continue his search for the assassin when he noticed some of the fallen leaves moving strangely. They paused in the air before shooting towards him, spinning like shuriken. Inuyasha batted them away with his free hand, cutting up his arm in the process. But one leaf managed to slip past his defense and embedded itself deep into the Bull's Eye on his arm.

"Ah, dammit!" Inuyasha hissed. The leaf tore as he tried to pull it out of his arm, leaving a piece inside. 'He could've killed me with a leaf!'

Inuyasha's face grew pale as he realized that anything around him could be the weapon that caused his death.

"_Sniper!"_

**XXXXX**

Kagome lay in her hospital bed, still unconscious, with a heavy bandage wrapped around her head. Sniper's attack had fractured her skull and could have left permanent damage. It was a miracle that she was still alive.

Sango, Miroku, and Shippo sat around her bed, sick with worry. Kagome's family had hurried to the hospital when they heard that Kagome was hurt, but were sent away (kicked out) to keep them safe.

"Will Kagome be okay?" Shippo whimpered.

"We have no way of knowing," said Miroku. "All we can do is wait and hope that Kagome's strength pulls her through this."

"Hey," said Sango. "I bet Spirit World has healers. Why aren't they coming?" Silence followed that question. Nobody had an answer.

"Sniper's demonic aura still hangs over this village," said Miroku.

"I wonder how Inuyasha's doing?" said Shippo. "I wish we could do something to help him."

"He'll do just fine, Shippo," said Sango. As if to contradict the demon slayer, several horrified screams erupted outside. Miroku, Shippo, and Sango hurried to the window to see a swarm of flying knives tearing down the street, cutting through the people on the crowded street. Teenagers hid behind the meager protection of their book bags while parents shielded their children with their own bodies, all the while running for safety. "Definitely Sniper," said Sango, drawing her knife.

"Here," said Miroku, holding out a small stack of sutra cards. "Put these over the Deathprint Bull's Eyes. They'll offer some protection, but Sniper's power is great. I don't have enough for all the marks, so just put them over the most vital parts."

"They're coming!" Shippo shouted as the knives approached the hospital window. They ran out the door, Miroku clutching Shippo and Sango carrying Kagome over her shoulder.

The blades crashed through the window, tearing up the mattress and decimating equipment. Homing in on the Bull's Eyes, they smashed through the closed door.

A nurse shouted after Miroku and the others, "Hey! No running in the hospit- AAH!" She shrieked in fear as the bloody knives shot by her.

"We have to get somewhere without any people so that I can suck up the knives with my Wind Tunnel!" shouted Miroku.

The four friends continued to tear through the halls. "Get out of the way or you'll get hurt!" Sango shouted to doctors, nurses, and visitors who stood in their way. The people hurried to the side, crouching down, but a security guard interpreted Sango's warning as a threat. He drew his baton and struck her across the gut as she ran past. The demon slayer collapsed, winded. Miroku and Shippo kept running.

"You'd better let that girl go!" the security guard yelled, pulling Kagome away from Sango.

"Look out!" Sango grabbed Kagome back and ran, ignoring the security guard's command to stop. The guard glanced behind his back, wondering what these kids were so afraid of. When he saw a stream of knives flying towards him, he panicked and waved his baton. To his credit, he actually blocked two of them.

Several blades buried themselves deep in the guard's flesh, spilling his blood onto the immaculate tile floor. But the guard was not Sniper's target; Sniper was not even aware of his death. The innocent man was nothing more than another object who happened to be between Sniper and his targets. The blades continued to fly, carrying the guard's limp corpse along for the ride. His heels dragged along the ground. With a surge of power, the blades managed to thrust through the corpse, tearing it apart and leaving it behind.

'Inuyasha, what's going on out there?' thought Sango.

**XXXXX**

"Wind Scar! Wind Scar! Wind Scar!" Inuyasha sent his powerful attack tearing through the forest in several directions. Still sensing Sniper's Territory, he howled in frustration.

With a final swing, Inuyasha fired his Wind Scar through the trees and was rewarded with a scream. Inuyasha found Sniper, his clothes shredded and bloody. He was off to the side, meaning that he had been grazed by the Wind Scar, not directly hit. Still, that attack did a lot of damage.

Sniper snapped a pistol out from under his jacket and fired. Inuyasha didn't get a chance to see the projectile of this strange device before it hit him in the shin. His leg buckled and Inuyasha collapsed. "What the hell is that thing?" he shouted.

Sniper took aim again. Gritting his teeth against the pain, Inuyasha sprung out of the way. He forced himself to keep moving to avoid Sniper's gunshots.

"I never got around to asking you this, Sniper. What do you want with the Jewel?"

"I'll make a wish…and make Sensui's dream come true!"

"Who the hell is Sensui? And what's this stupid dream of his?"

Sniper fired again, the bullet grazing Inuyasha's shirt. "To give humanity what it deserves. Complete annihilation!"

"What?" Inuyasha exclaimed. He shot forward and, with a slash of Tetsusaiga, destroyed the pistol in a burst of springs and metal. Putting the tip of his sword to Sniper's face, he said, "Destroy all the humans?"

"Humans are creatures of lies and pretended virtue. That is what gives demons their superiority. They accept their wickedness, the ugliness of their souls. They are free from hypocrisy. And you, Inuyasha, should've been one of them."

"One of them?" The hanyou tightened his grip on his sword.

"Your demon blood should have given you the same freedom from the sham that is human justice. You had an opportunity greater than any of your human kin and you threw that away!" Sniper leapt up and distanced himself from his opponent. "Inuyasha, you are the worst creature that ever lived."

Inuyasha gaped silently at the madman as the words sank in. Then, a look of outright rage took his face. "Shut up!" he shouted, charging with his sword held high.

Sniper gave a great cry, an aura of demon energy surrounding him. Chunks of earth levitated out of the ground and, glowing with demon energy, shot towards Inuyasha.

"They're energized with Sniper's power. This is the perfect chance for my Backlash Wave!" With a swing of Tetsusaiga, the boulders exploded into whirlpools of demon energy, twisting in the opposite direction and threatening to tear Sniper apart.

Then, they disappeared.

When the dust settled, Inuyasha saw an unconscious Sniper, in one piece, held aloft by Ayame, who sat on her hovering oar.

"What happened?" asked Inuyasha.

The black-clad ferry girl removed a small dart from Sniper's neck and tossed it to the ground. "I sedated him. When he lost consciousness, his demonic power faded and with it, your Backlash Wave."

"If you could beat him so easily, why didn't you do it before?"

"Fighting enemies is your operation, not mine, detective. This was merely a lucky shot," said Ayame. "However, it is a Spirit World crime for a demon to kill a human, regardless of the circumstances. You handled this case quite sloppily." Her tone developed an angry edge. "Do you realize how many memories we've had to wipe?"

"We couldn't help it! Sniper wasn't concerned with secrecy."

Ayame was silent, realizing that she could not think of a response. Instead, she reached into Sniper's jacket and tossed Inuyasha a shining Jewel shard. "I could've kept this shard from you. Be grateful that Spirit World is holding up its end of the deal. If you become a greater liability than an asset, then we will withdraw our support."

"While we're on the subject, have you guys actually found anything on Naraku?"

"Not yet, but we will inform you once we find something."

"Right."

The pair was silent as Ayame cast the soft light of her healing powers onto the hanyou. Sniper's bullets fell from his flesh and his wounds closed. When she was finished, Inuyasha asked, "Have you helped Kagome?"

Ayame looked at him. "I called that ambulance, didn't I?" Seeing Inuyasha's look of surprise, she said. "Yes, that was me, in disguise. Spirit World intelligence is everywhere. Our power in this world is more extensive than you realize. We're always watching over you."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" asked Inuyasha. Ayame disappeared.


	6. Kodoku no Hiei

**The Corpse**

**Ch. 6: Kodoku no Hiei**

Hiei let out a sigh of resignation, preparing for yet another misadventure to protect the Human World from his own people. He and a small team of Gandaran technicians were standing in the middle of a deserted field, preparing the machine that would give him passage through the Kekkai Barrier. Yomi's former advisor, Youda, was performing some final tests inside the tent where the control room was set up.

Despite Enki's attempts to create peace among the Human, Demon, and Spirit Worlds, King Yama had still refused to lower the Kekkai. However, Youda's invention blew a hole through the pseudospace and the Barrier, allowing demons of any power level to pass through. However, these rips had to be small and temporary to avoid detection by Spirit World, so only a small number of demons could get through. And for this mission, Hiei alone would be more than sufficient.

The mission was to investigate energy readings in Human World that suggested a large battle involving several demons. The demons were moderately powerful, mainly C and lower B Class. No humans had been involved yet, but Enki wanted to put a stop to it long before any humans got hurt.

The tent flap was pushed back to reveal Enki, with his usual jolly smile. "Hey, Hiei."

"Are they ready for me?"

"Almost. I came out to talk about something else." Enki held out a long bundle wrapped in thick cloth. Enchanted talisman cards were plastered all over the cloth and by the looks of them, they were holding back something powerful. Hiei took and unwrapped the bundle to reveal a long, straight-bladed sword, shrouded in a malevolent red aura. As Hiei picked the weapon up, he could feel a surge of pure hatred from it. Upon closer inspection, he saw that the blade had been forged from a demon's fangs.

"Its name is Tokijin," said Enki.

"How do you know?"

"It told me," said Enki. "It used to belong to a powerful demon named Sesshomaru, son of the Inutaisho. You've heard of him?"

"Yeah." Every demon knew of the Inutaisho's legendary son, Sesshomaru. Supposedly, the Inutaisho also had another son, a hanyou who had disappeared five-hundred years ago, though this was more of a "conspiracy theory" than a historical fact.

Hiei raised the sword, preparing to summon one of its demon energy attacks. A blue light flared along the blade but soon flickered and died. It was as if there were some hidden force blocking the weapon's power. Hiei tried to use the weapon again, only to find the resistance stronger.

"Oh, I get it," said Enki. "The spirit of the demon Goshinki still lives on inside that weapon. It's resisting your control. I guess only Sesshomaru could really control that weapon."

"Quiet!" Hiei hissed, his Jagan flashing a blue light. 'Obey me,' he mentally commanded the sword. His Jagan eye began to glow with a steady blue-white light has his grip on Tokijin tightened. The sword's red aura intensified as it fought back, trying to conquer Hiei's will, as it had conquered the will of the swordsmith who forged it. Hiei growled and dark flames erupted around his body, attempting to engulf and consume the red light. The sword fought back desperately, but in a final blast of strength, Hiei overpowered it and the red aura vanished. With an almost lazy swing, Hiei sent a bolt of blue light tearing through the ground and decimating a nearby hillside. With a smirk of approval, Hiei tucked the sword underneath his cloak.

"What happened out here?" demanded Youda, throwing aside the tent flap.

"Hi there, Youda!" Enki said jovially. "Hiei was just trying out his new sword. Remember Tokijin?"

"Tokijin! Why in the Demon World would you unwrap that cursed thing?"

"Well, it seemed a shame to let such a fine weapon rust away in some dusty vault. And if Hiei could master the Dragon of the Darkness Flame, then he was the best bet to wield Tokijin."

Youda grunted. "Well, Hiei, come in. The portal's ready. Have you got your communicator?"

"Yeah," Hiei said, holding it up. The communicator would allow Youda's team to track his movements in Human World, allowing them to set up the return portal in an area that Hiei chose.

Youda pushed the few remaining switches and a bright ray of light, which resembled Kuwabara's Jigen-to, cut through the air, dividing space-time itself. The rip widened, becoming a jagged window into Human World. From what Hiei could see, it was nighttime and he was being sent into a forested area.

"Hurry, Hiei!" Youda said, but the fire demon was already on his way. He jumped through the rip. He looked back at Youda , catching a last glimpse of the old demon before the portal was sealed.

The air in the area was thick with miasma, so Hiei instantly knew which way to go. Looming over the treetops, he saw the roof of a magnificent mansion with a dark cloud surrounding it. Hiei sprinted towards the mansion at top speed.

As Hiei approached the large front doors, he was stopped by three demons. "Halt! Are you a servant of Lord Naraku?" asked their leader.

"No," said Hiei. "I've come to stop whatever the hell is going on in there."

"If you do not serve Naraku, then you will join the others in the Fuko spell!"

"Your ritual is in violation of Demon World law. Surrender now," said Hiei, as protocol required.

"We'll never surrender. We will fight to the death!"

Hiei drew Tokijin and grinned. "I'd prefer it that way." The lead demon drew a sword and slashed downward at Hiei. His sword was repelled by Tokijin and came away with a deep notch dug in the metal. Hiei easily slashed off his head.

"Give it up. You weaklings have no way to beat me," he said to the remaining demons.

"Wanna bet?" was their battle cry. With a sigh, Hiei slashed with the Tokijin, destroying both demons with the blue light of the Kanetsu attack. Another blast tore the door to splinters.

Hiei hurried into the mansion, heading for the spot where the miasma was thickest. He passed through a great banquet hall, with a long table piled high with scraps that no one had bothered to clean up. Suddenly, the several doors leading into the room banged open and hordes of demons poured through. Hiei cursed himself for being so careless.

"Oh, well," he said to himself. As the screaming mob of demons swarmed around him, he spun, slashing everywhere with Tokijin. Demons turned and clamored over each other to escape the fury of that blade while Hiei hacked away limbs and showered himself in blood.

"Keep going, cowards!" shouted the demons further away from Hiei who had not experienced firsthand the power of the fire demon.

Hiei tore the headband from his Jagan. "Fist of the Mortal Flame!" he called, and swung at his adversaries, immolating them with his touch. With a wordless cry, he sent waves of fire streaming all over the room. The demons screamed and wept as the fire ate away at their flesh, leaving their smoldering corpses on the floor.

Hiei ran for the door but froze when another obstacle appeared. A pale young girl dressed in a white kimono materialized in the doorway, holding a silver-framed mirror. Hiei realized that he could not sense any energy from this strange girl at all, not even life energy. It was as if she were a living nothingness.

"Look into my mirror," she said softly. The mirror shone seductively and Hiei was drawn to it. The fire demon's stomach clenched up and he gasped as he felt a familiar sensation.

He was losing his soul.

**XXXXX**

Hiei's eyes fluttered open as he regained consciousness, realizing that his soul had been returned to him. But what was that strange wind? Taking a closer look at his surroundings, he saw that he was in an enormous black chamber. Looking downward, he saw a floor that was obviously meant to be some kind of stadium. A floor that was getting closer and closer very quickly.

"Damn. I'm falling!" Hiei shouted. He glanced around and saw Tokijin freefalling beside him. He snatched the sword and, as his wits returned to him, realized that there was a battle royal of a countless number of demons. The place had been flooded with water which was mixing with the blood of the demons. The flesh torn from the combatants floated in the red liquid, forming a grisly stew.

Hiei slashed the Tokijin, destroying several demons with the Kanetsu attack. "What's going on here?"

A voice came from the darkness above. "You are in my castle and are a part of my Fuko spell. Only the last one alive in this battle will be allowed to leave."

"Who are you?" Hiei grunted as he cut down another demon.

**XXXXX**

Naraku watched the battle from a luxurious spectator box once used by Sakyo to watch demon fights. A simple spell kept the place invisible.

Naraku smiled as the fire demon defeated foe after foe, slashing and incinerating them with his immense power. He was such a fortunate acquisition. He would give Naraku's new body incredible power.

**XXXXX**

For what seemed like hours, Hiei fought against the countless demons, realizing and hating the fact that he had no other choice. He had no idea what the Fuko spell was and could do nothing but keep fighting and wait to find out.

Finally, there was only one enemy left. He was a massive blue-skinned oni wielding a heavy spiked club. Hiei could sense powerful demon energy coming off of him. This opponent was not to be underestimated.

"After I finish you, I will be the victor!" the oni cried.

"Don't get your hopes up." Hiei drew his right arm against Tokijin's blade, letting the shredded cloth fall away. Black flames formed around his arm. "This is my strongest attack and I don't waste it on just anyone. Consider yourself honored." Hiei drew back his fist as the dark flames flared and intensified. "_Dragon of the Darkness Flame!_" Before the oni had a chance to react, the black dragon pounced upon him.

The oni screamed, flailing around in a futile attempt to put out the fire. Flesh melted away as the sinew and tendons holding his body together shriveled and broke, letting the parts scatter. His heated bones hissed as they dropped into the water.

Trying to catch his breath, Hiei lowered his arm and slumped down on the flooded ground. "Looks like I'm the champion. Time to see what I've won."

The water began to bubble and froth around Hiei's ankles. The stew of demon parts stirred with increasing violence. Soon, high waves were crashing against the wall like an ocean. The demon parts began to float through the water, converging on Hiei. The fire demon stood helplessly as the parts began to graft themselves onto him. Bony spikes now protruded from his back. Mismatched arms stuck to his sides, some looking humanoid, others looking like animal claws, one even looking like the body of a serpent. His skin was covered by a strong, scaly armor. New faces appeared all over his torso. Jagan eyes opened up all over his body. With all this added mass, Hiei stretched and grew until he was the size of a giant. He gazed upon his deformed, desecrated body and roared his anger to the darkness.

"What have you done to me?" he screamed in a voice that contained the hundreds of demons that had fused with him. The extra faces cried out along with him.

In response, window appeared in the darkness, revealing the silhouette of a man. Hiei leapt at the man without hesitation, drawing back his largest fist and swinging it. The window shattered and Hiei's fist collided with his tormentor.

The fist stuck but the man was not injured and Hiei found that he could not take his hand off him. "Let go!" he demanded, tugging at his arm.

A strange wind began to draw Hiei into the stranger. He felt his new body coming apart at the seams while his flesh was consumed and absorbed into the stranger's body. He fought back desperately but could not regain control of himself.

His last words echoed in the chamber. "Damn you!"


	7. Naraku's Deception

**The Corpse**

**Ch. 7: Naraku's Deception**

Naraku gasped as a great stream of blood sprayed from his forehead. A jolt of flesh-searing pain burned in his head as he felt the bones in his skull shift, crack, and split. His muscles of his face twisted, tearing apart and melting together in strange new arrangements. A great crack drew across his forehead like the incision of a scalpel while a shining Jagan eye forced itself to the surface. Naraku growled and thrashed around, grabbing at his head.

At the same time, Naraku felt a warm tendril coil itself around his right arm. Pulling back his sleeve, he saw the mark of a black dragon appear. The mark seemed warm but the heat grew more and more intense, until Naraku could feel it in his bones. The dragon mark burst into black flame, threatening to consume Naraku's arm and later, his entire body. Naraku snarled and clenched his fist, forcing the black fire to die down, suppressing it back into his arm. After what felt like hours of effort, the Darkness Flame finally faded away.

Naraku crumpled on the floor of his bedchamber, utterly exhausted. The fire demon that had become his kodoku body was powerful indeed if he was able to force parts of himself to Naraku's surface. Naraku would separate himself that night, adjust this new part and bring it under control.

**XXXXX**

"Auuugh!" Kuwabara's limbs failed wildly in fear. He tried to sit up and toppled clumsily out of bed.

Shizuru, struggling into a bathrobe, threw open his bedroom door. "Kazuma, what the hell's going on?"

The look on his sister's face made Kuwabara feel particularly small. "Uh, sorry sis. Bad dream."

Shizuru sighed. "Was it the dream about that old woman with the butcher knife again?"

"No!" Kuwabara answered, glaring at his sister. "It was something worse. I dreamed about this guy. I dunno who he was or even what he looked like, but I remember he was chewing on a piece of human flesh, with blood dripping down his front. He was a demon. I'm positive. Do you think it's some kind of sign?"

Shizuru sat on the bed next to her brother. "Kazuma, I know you've had lots of premonitions and prophecies and stuff like that. I have too. But you're still human and you have nightmares just like anyone else and it's only natural that sometimes you dream about demons. Not everything you feel is some kind of sign. Sometimes a dream is just a dream."

**XXXXX**

"Your principal called me this afternoon, Yusuke," Atsuko said, glaring down at her son.

"Really? What did he want?" asked Yusuke between sips of soda. It was hard to take his mother seriously when she tried to discipline him. After all, she spent her days drinking and lying in bed, watching TV. Who was she to lecture him?

"You know what he wanted. You've ditched school the entire week! You're already far behind other students your age and you're not going to make any progress if you keep going on like this." Atsuko took a deep breath, calming herself. "Yusuke, I've never asked you where you disappeared to during those three years, but now I want to know. What happened to you? Where did you go? What were you doing?"

"Why the hell do you need to know?"

"Because I need a reason, Yusuke. For years I've felt like you've been hiding something from me, something more important to you than your future. When I look at you, I feel like I'm seeing some sort of disguise, like the person I'm looking at isn't the real thing. Yusuke, you're my son and I'll love you no matter what but I need to know who you are!"

"Been rehearsing that speech, haven't you?" Yusuke mocked his mother, but fell silent when he saw her face. Her eyes, shining with tears, were fixed on her son. Her breathing was shallow. She looked as if she would burst out crying any moment. 'She has been rehearsing that speech. For years,' Yusuke thought. He'd never realized how much he had been hurting his mother. Yusuke got to his feet and said, "Okay, Mom. I promise to tell you everything. I just need to go out and talk to some people, get everything in order." He threw on his jacket. "I'll be back by dinnertime."

"I love you, son."

"I love you too, Mom."

**XXXXX**

Naraku watched the scene through his newly mastered Jagan eye. Though the eye was now under his control, it still seemed drawn to Yusuke Urameshi and his friends. These Spirit Detectives were powerful individuals who could prove very useful. Inuyasha and Kagome had taken over their duties, allying themselves with Yusuke's former lords.

Kagome and her friends were threats to Yusuke. The problem was that Yusuke did not realize it.

**XXXXX**

Yusuke sighed as he climbed the stairs back into his apartment. He had gone all over town, speaking to Kuwabara, Kurama, and everyone who would be affected when he told Atsuko the truth. He had even gone so far as to call Kido, Yana, and Kaitou in Mushiori City. He had asked all his friends for permission and they all had given it.

Atsuko wouldn't believe him at first, of course, but all he'd have to do is demonstrate his Spirit Gun. That would be all the proof she'd need.

Yusuke was startled from his thoughts by a high-pitched scream. "Mom!" he cried and sprinted up the stairs. He definitely sensed demon energy.

He kicked the door off its hinges just in time to see the demon emerge from Atsuko's bedroom, wiping blood from his mouth. He wore a red kimono with a string of large beads around his neck. His eyes were gold and his long hair was silver, with two dog ears poking out from underneath it.

"Who are you?" shouted Yusuke. "What did you do to my mother?"

"So, that bitch was your mom. I'll bet she meant a lot to you." The dog-demon smirked. "You humans are such arrogant creatures. You think so highly of yourselves, your strength and intelligence, but you're only purpose is still nothing more than being prey for the predators." Yusuke felt his demonic heart stop. "Well, everyone deserves to know the name of the one who takes the life of a loved one. The one who killed your mother is the demon Inuyasha." The dog demon vanished into thin air, leaving Yusuke standing helplessly.

Yusuke burst into Atsuko's room and froze at what he saw. His mother's body had been ripped apart, her blood flowing all over the bed and soaking the carpet. Human bones, stripped of their meat, had been broken off and cast aside. All four limbs had been cut off and gnawed upon. Her eyes had been gouged out and her face was stretched in anguish.

Still in a state of complete shock, Yusuke turned and left Atsuko's silent bedroom, shutting the door behind him.

**XXXXX**

They held the wake in Yusuke's apartment. None of Atsuko's friends attended, as they hadn't been told of her death. No one outside of Yusuke's circle knew Atsuko Urameshi was dead. The whole team had come, even Kido, Kaitou, Yana, and Mitarai, who had never met Atsuko when she was sober, and Genkai, whose health had been slowly declining.

There were no eulogies or speeches. Everyone simply sat in respectful silence for an unknown amount of time. At times there would be a sigh or a sob. Finally, Yusuke stood and clapped his hands together, as Enki had done when visiting Raizen's grave. "Thanks for coming, everyone. You should be on your way."

"Yusuke?" asked Kurama. He paused, unsure if his question was appropriate. "What will you do with the body?"

"I can get rid of it with my spirit energy, then get myself out of here. It's no big deal."

"Hold it, Urameshi. How could you just blast away your mother's body?" asked Kuwabara.

"Damn it! I'm not blasting my mother. It's just a chunk of meat now! Get the hell out!" He turned away and stared out the window, listening to his friends file softly out the door.

Yusuke could still sense Kido's presence. "Something else, Kido?" he asked without facing him.

"Yusuke," said the shadow psychic, "I'm really sorry about what happened here."

Yusuke sighed. "Thanks."

"You're handling this really well," Kido complimented him.

"I have to. It's not like that demon was evil or anything. It was just a guy that needed to eat, you know?"

"Yusuke! Oh my God! That thing devoured your mother and you say that it's okay? What, are you just going to let him run loose and eat more of our people?"

"Maybe I should. We have no right to starve him. Everyone needs food, even if it's human."

"I can't believe you're saying this!" Kido shouted at him. "You were Spirit Detective! You protected humanity!"

"I _was_ Spirit Detective," said Yusuke. "The world is more confusing than you've been taught." Sighing, Kido walked over to the door of Atsuko's bedroom, where her body still lay untouched.

"You can still sense Inuyasha's energy. It's really obvious."

"Yeah," Yusuke agreed. "I didn't think anyone could be that careless. Almost makes me think that he left his energy on purpose." He turned and saw that Kido was leaving. "Hold it, Kido. I know what you're thinking."

"So you can read minds?"

"You'd better not go after Inuyasha. You're as powerful as a squashed bug compared to him."

Kido only answered by slamming the door.

**XXXXX**

Naraku saw Kido's exchange with Yusuke through the Jagan eye. He had not expected Yusuke to respond to his mother's death so calmly. Still, he could make use of this psychic.

The Darkness Flame flared up again, pulling at the bindings around his arm. It almost seemed angry.

**XXXXX**

Hi! Thank you to all my readers, especially those who've reviewed. I'm kinda disappointed because no one's reviewed Chapter 6 yet. If you want to follow this story, put it in your Story Alert or Favorites because it's hard to tell if it'll end up on the first page. Later!


	8. The House of Four Dimensions

**The Corpse**

**Ch. 8: The House of Four Dimensions**

Kido scanned the shrine. It seemed innocent enough, but it reeked of Inuyasha's demon energy. Just as he had expected, the moment he set foot in the shrine, he saw a teenage girl in the bedroom window staring directly at him. She hurried out of her house, carrying a wrapped bundle, no doubt containing a bow and some arrows. Kido promptly left the shrine, with Kagome Higurashi following him at a pace fast enough to keep up with him yet slow enough to avoid suspicion.

**XXXXX (flashback)**

"Kido," whispered a voice.

Kido opened his eyes and lifted his head from his pillow, wondering if he had dreamed the voice.

"Kido," said the voice again. A shadowy figure, wrapped in some kind of cloak, appeared at the foot of his bed. Kido sensed demon energy. Without hesitating, Kido opened his Territory, but the lights were off and without lights, there were no shadows.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Kido forced his voice to be steady.

"For your first question, my name is Naraku. For your second question, I am here because we have a common enemy, a demon called Inuyasha. I'd like to propose an alliance."

"What do I need from you?"

"You're too weak to fight Inuyasha on your own. You know that," said Naraku. Kido looked away. He hadn't wanted to admit it, but the energy he sensed in Atsuko's bedroom was far stronger than his own, even if it was only residue. "I can remedy that." A humanoid hand appeared, holding a glowing piece of dark-colored crystal. The light illuminated a mask shaped like a baboon's skull. "This is a shard of the Shikon Jewel. It will give you the strength to defeat Inuyasha."

"I don't sense anything special about it."

"Turn around," said Naraku. Kido turned his back to the demon. He felt the jewel strike his back and stick. It increased his strength drastically. Kido smiled.

A patch of scar tissue began to form around the jewel and grew until it covered his entire back. "There is no cause for alarm," said Naraku. "That scar is a temporary side-effect of the jewel. It will disappear once you return the jewel to me. Now, to find Inuyasha, here is what you have to do…"

**XXXXX (end flashback)**

As Inuyasha and his companions, dressed in modern-day clothing, emerged from the well house, Mrs. Higurashi hurried up to them. "Kagome told me to give you this note as soon as you came out."

Inuyasha took the piece of paper. It read "Inuyasha, I'm pursuing a boy with blond hair who carries some kind of jewel shard. Follow my scent."

'Something's weird about this,' thought Inuyasha. "Mrs. Higurashi, what does 'blond' mean?"

"Forget about that guy's hair," said Sango. "What does she mean by 'some kind' of jewel shard. Is it different?"

"Maybe it's a fake," said Shippo.

"If that's so," said Miroku, "then this boy that Kagome is pursuing isn't an enemy. He is most likely a victim, deceived by Naraku."

"I don't care," growled Inuyasha. "If he hurts Kagome, then he'll die. Period!"

"Can you track Kagome by her scent?" asked Sango.

"I don't think so. Kagome's been here so often that her smell is all over the place… Naraku! That's definitely Naraku's scent. This way!" Inuyasha leapt down the stairs of the shrine and ran down the sidewalk. Kirara quickly transformed. Miroku, Sango, and Shippo climbed onto her back. Kirara flew high into the air, where hopefully no one would see her, and followed.

"Sango, are you sure no one will see us?" asked Shippo.

"Of course not. We're flying too high."

"But the buildings in this time are much taller than they are in our time."

"Huh?" Sango looked to her right and met the stares of puzzled office workers. "Oh, crap. Ayame will kill me. Higher, Kirara!" Sango was quite relieved when Inuyasha led them to a residential area where the buildings were relatively small.

"Rokubukuri Estates," Sango read off a sign. She saw Inuyasha stop at the doorstep of a large mansion.

The mansion looked positively deformed. Windows were slanted, the structure was lopsided, and parts were in places they didn't belong. Gas jets issued blue flames from the roof. The companions approached a large red door with handles shaped like human hands.

The inside of the mansion was just as surreal as the outside. The inside door was circular and slid into the walls on its own accord. The floor was slanted and the dark ceiling was impossibly high. A strange chandelier hung down, emitting steam. Orbs of colored light were found all over the room.

"Who's the nut that designed this place?" wondered Inuyasha.

"There's a definite demonic aura here," said Miroku.

"Yeah, but it's more like that thing that Amanuma called it. A psychic's Territory," said Shippo. "We have to be on our guard."

"Look!" Sango pointed. A shadow slid out from the hallway and across the floor.

Inuyasha glanced up, but saw nothing that could have cast the shadow. "There's nothing up there."

Suddenly, the shadow took a humanoid form and peeled itself off the floor. Its arms stretched and wrapped Inuyasha in a deadly embrace, trying to crush him. Inuyasha slashed at it with his claws but failed to harm it. After all, it was only a shadow. Miroku and Sango struck at it with their weapons.

"Ow!" said Inuyasha as Miroku's staff hit his face. "Aww!" he said as the Hiraikotsu struck his belly. "Ow! Ow! OUCH! HEY! Cut that out! You're hitting me!"

"We can't do any physical damage to it," Miroku shouted in frustration. "What are we going to do?"

Shippo leapt forward. "Foxfire!" A bright blue fireball formed above him. The shadow wavered as the light hit it and finally faded away.

"Light destroys shadows. Of course!" said Miroku.

"That was great Shippo!" Sango patted him on the back. Shippo smiled widely, bursting with pride.

"Yeah. That weak trick of yours was finally useful for something," said Inuyasha.

"You're just mad because you were helpless and I saved your butt." Shippo earned a hard bop on the head from Inuyasha. Shippo hopped up and pummeled Inuyasha with his little fists.

"Perhaps we should focus on something else. Like Kagome's location," said Miroku.

"Yeah, where is she?" said Sango.

Inuyasha sniffed at the air. "Her scent's definitely in this place. Let's keep going."

They came to a white room with a tiled floor. One wall had several misshapen doorways with differently colored stairways. "Which one, Inuyasha?" asked Miroku.

"I dunno. I can smell Kagome and Naraku's scents in all of them."

"We should split up," said Miroku. "Sango and Kirara take one. I'll take another. Inuyasha will take the third. Shippo will go with you to protect you."

"Hey!" shouted Inuyasha.

Shippo glared at the dog demon. "Don't act like it's some kind of insult to be protected by me."

"All right," said Sango. "You guys ready? Let's go."

**XXXXX**

A bright light shone straight in Kagome's face. She couldn't shut her eyes and was unable to turn away from the glare. Standing somewhere behind her was the blond boy with the jewel shard. For some reason, she couldn't move.

"Who are you?" she demanded. She felt silly, talking to someone she couldn't face.

"Kido. Asato Kido."

"How did you get that jewel shard?"

"My new pal Naraku gave it to me. He and I are working together to bring Inuyasha down. Now I've got a question for you. Why would a human aid someone like Inuyasha?"

"What do you mean 'someone like Inuyasha'? He's a strong, brave person and he's my friend!"

"You're friends with the demon that ate my friend's mother?" Kido snarled.

Kagome paused. "What are you talking about? Inuyasha would never eat a human. He's half human himself. Unless your friend is a chicken or a bowl of ramen or something… Wait a minute! Did it occur to you that Naraku was lying to you? It's what he always does. He starts battles between those who have no reason to hate each other."

"Nope. I can sense Inuyasha inside this house right now and it's the same demon energy that was left on that woman's corpse."

"Naraku is a shapeshifter. He must've disguised himself as Inuyasha and eaten your friend's mother. You have to believe me!"

"Oh? And what would he gain from that?"

"He hated Inuyasha. He was jealous of the woman who loved him!"

"His woman?" said Kido. "Would that be you?"

"No! I'm talking about Kikyo…" Kagome grumbled. "Never mind. It's a long story and you don't believe me anyway, do you?"

"Nope. Too far-fetched for me."

**XXXXX**

"This stairway goes on forever!" shouted Miroku. The tedious and frustrating staircase which he had been climbing for nearly an hour was putting a strain on his Buddha-like patience. This was not helped by the fact that the staircase was the only tangible object in a disturbing black void. Finally he snapped.

Pointing at the stairs, he shouted, "You are a staircase! You are a straight line, dammit! You had a beginning and you're supposed to have an end!" He slammed his staff on the stair, leaving a deep crack in it. Then he took a deep breath, sitting down to try and calm himself. "Nothing goes on forever," he whispered to himself. Calmed, he stood and continued climbing the stairs.

Miroku kept walking until he noticed that one of the steps ahead of him had been damaged. It was the same step that he had struck with his staff. "I'm in the exact same place. I've been going around in one big circle!"

Miroku looked around. He couldn't stay on these steps, so he took the only alternative he could find. He jumped off the stairs and fell into the dark abyss.

Strangely, he felt as if he were falling up, not down.

**XXXXX**

Inuyasha and Shippo found a stairway that spiraled upwards. As they ascended, they noticed that the spiral seemed to be getting tighter and tighter, until it got to a point where to climb up the stair case required little more than simply spinning in one spot.

"I don't get it," said Inuyasha. "We're at the top, but there's nothing here."

"Then maybe we aren't at the top," said Shippo.

"Everything's below us, nothing's above us. That means we're at the top!"

"Well, maybe there is something above us. You know how as we got higher, the spiral got tighter and the stairs got smaller? Well, maybe now they're so small that they're invisible but we have to keep climbing them."

"So to get to the top, I'm supposed to just keep spinning in one place?"

"You have a better idea?" asked Shippo.

"Fine, we'll do it your way." Inuyasha began spinning around, lifting his feet as if he were climbing stairs. The next time he looked down, he saw that he appeared to be hovering a few inches above the ground.

"See? What did I tell you?"

**XXXXX**

With Kirara in her arms, Sango ascended her own staircase, which was suspended in an empty void. The only door was floating out in space, but Sango was convinced that eventually, the staircase would lead her to it. The demon slayer reached a level path.

The demon slayer stopped in surprise. Her path abruptly ended and another one began, rising at a ninety degree angle. "What am I supposed to do here?" she wondered aloud.

Experimentally, Sango put her foot against the path. The room seemed to spin, shifting itself until Sango felt right side up again. She began walking up the new path and never felt gravity pulling her down to the old one. 'This is so weird. It's like I'm walking up a wall.'

She came to several new paths, each one leading in another strange direction. She realized that in this place, there was no up and down. Direction was entirely up to her perception. If she had known about it, she would have thought that this was like walking in outer space.

Sango reached a point where the door was directly above her. "Hold on to me, Kirara," she said. With the cat demon on her shoulder, Sango flipped over and did a handstand. Now she felt like she was hanging on to the underside of the walkway.

"The door is down," she told herself before pushing off and falling towards her goal.

**XXXXX**

"They're here," said Kido.

Kagome gasped in relief as she heard three doors opening. "Is that you?"

"Kagome, why are you just standing there?" asked Inuyasha.

"I can't move," she shouted back. "Do something. And you, Mr. Kido, I don't see why you have to shine this light in my eyes."

"What kind of place is this?" Sango demanded.

"This is the House of Four Dimensions and I'm sure that you realize that you're now in my Territory," said Kido.

"Your Territory? Is that what demonic auras are called in this era?" asked Miroku.

"Not exactly," said Kido. "Territories are quite different. These are areas where the very laws of nature are warped. See how I'm stepping on your friend's shadow? That's why she's frozen. I could kill her just by covering her nose and mouth, but I don't care about her. I'm in this to finish you off, Inuyasha!"

"And I know why," said Inuyasha. "I can smell Naraku all over you!"

Another shadow monster sprung up from the ground and thrust its hand straight through Inuyasha's stomach. Inuyasha doubled over but managed to draw Tetsusaiga.

While the shadow was distracted by Inuyasha, Sango hefted her Hiraikotsu and hurled it at Kido. The psychic was blasted off his feet, the weapon blasting his shirt to shreds and revealing the spider-shaped mark of Onigumo.

"So you are a demon," said Miroku.

"No, I'm a human. I just use demonic powers."

"That's bullshit and you know it! You're definitely one of Naraku's incarnations." shouted Inuyasha, struggling with the shadow monster. Shippo shot Foxfire at it, holding it off but failing to destroy it.

Kagome hurried back to her friends, snatching up the bow and arrows that were leaning against the wall. "The shard is in his back. But it's not a real one. I'm sure of it."

"Kagome, Inuyasha has no way of defeating that shadow monster," said Miroku. "We have to find a way to dispel this boy's Territory."

"There is a way," said Inuyasha, still wrestling the shadow. "Knock him out!"

"I have a different idea," said Kagome. She fired an arrow straight into the ground at Kido's feet. A pink light burst from it and Kido's Territory flickered and died. The injured Kido, stumbled and fell.

"Just what are you?" he gasped before collapsing.

Kagome knelt down next to Kido, pulling the shard out of his back. The spider scar shrunk and disappeared. "Hey," said Inuyasha. "He doesn't smell like Naraku anymore!"

"It was probably a spell from this fake shard," said Kagome, examining the dark crystal.

"I will take that." Kagome spun around, surprised. She saw Ayame. "Give me that shard. Spirit World will dispose of it. And we will take Kido into custody." She scooped up the boy and slumped him over her oar.

"You did relatively well for this case," said Ayame, "considering your performance in the last one. If you do well on your next assignment, Spirit World will tell you where to find a shard large enough to complete the jewel."

**XXXXX**

Thanks for reading. Happy Thanksgiving!


	9. The Realm of Darkest Hell

**The Corpse**

**Chapter 9: The Realm of Darkest Hell**

In an isolated corner of King Yama's castle there was a large, luxurious suite where few people ever dared to go. The door was kept locked because inside was the powerful and dangerous priestess, Kikyo.

Because Kikyo was not truly alive, she could not enter the afterlife unwillingly. Therefore, she was stuck in Spirit World. King Yama made efforts to keep her safe and keep others safe from her, as if she were a dangerous weapon.

Every few weeks, Botan would carry a mysterious wooden box to Kikyo's room and pick up the empty box the next day. It had been a routine of hers for the past few centuries. The box was always light and Botan suspected that it was empty. But she did as she was told. For some reason, she was the only person who Kikyo would willingly allow near her room.

Botan paused outside Kikyo's door. No matter how many times she did this, she still felt nervous coming to the priestess's room. Botan knocked before unlocking the door and pulling it open.

She saw Kikyo sitting at a desk by the window, reading a book. "Hello, Botan," said the priestess. "Have you brought what I need?"

"Yes," Botan said, waiting by the door.

"Thank you," Kikyo said, not getting up. "Please come in and sit with me for a while." She smiled. "I don't get much company around here." Botan reluctantly entered the room for the first time. She sat down in a soft chair, setting the box on the table. Kikyo sat across the table from her.

"How long have I been here, Botan?"

"What?"

"There is no night and day here and no way to tell time," said Kikyo. "I have nothing to do and I have seen nothing of Human World. How long have I been in this room?"

"Five hundred years, maybe a little less."

"Five hundred years," Kikyo murmured to herself. "I suppose Human World has changed very much now."

"Yes, it's very different."

"Would you say that it is better or worse?"

"Better in some ways, worse in others."

Kikyo nodded and peered out the window. "I would like to see it. I have had no view but this one for the past five hundred years."

Botan looked out the window to see the shining golden clouds of Spirit World. But in the middle of it was a great shrine, burning and blackened. The entrance to the Realm of Darkest Hell, where Toguro had been sent.

"That's an…interesting view," Botan said uncertainly. "Why did they give you a room with a view of Hell?"

"I requested it. I am looking forward to going there."

"Why would you want to go to Hell?"

"Because someone…special will be coming with me."

Botan didn't like how Kikyo said "special."

"I was supposed to give you something else, too." Botan fumbled around in her kimono before drawing out an envelope. From what she could figure out, it contained a piece of paper and a small object. Kikyo took it and tossed it onto the table, muttering something. Botan caught the words "fake" and "shard."

"What's in that box?" asked Botan, trying to change the subject.

"This?" Kikyo laid a hand on the box. "Are you sure you want to know?" She lifted the lid of the box. An orb of white light floated out of it.

"I don't believe it!" said Botan. "That's…that's…"

"Yes," said Kikyo. "A human soul. Specifically, a woman who died tragically."

Botan stood angrily. "Spirit World is entrusted to make sure that all souls go to the afterlife they deserve! I ferried this soul myself and she knew nothing but suffering all her life! Why would Spirit World sacrifice her to you?"

"Because so long as I am kept alive, I have no reason to fight, Botan. Spirit World fears me and my power. Yama maintains me and provides for me in the hopes that he can use me sometime in the future." Kikyo grasped the soul gently and pushed it into her flesh.

"That's disgusting!" shouted Botan.

"Is it?" asked Kikyo. "Is it disgusting that I do what I need to survive? Well, I have to do it anyway."

"I'm not talking about you. I'm talking about Spirit World. Sacrificing these women's souls so that they can have a weapon!"

Kikyo laughed. "That's what I always liked about you, Botan. You're not afraid of your lord. From the moment I first came to Spirit World, I could sense that about you."

"Don't get friendly with me, Kikyo," said Botan. "I'd rather you starve, or whatever the right word is, than sacrifice any more of these souls to you." Botan rose from her chair and hurried angrily out of the room.

Kikyo leaned back in her chair, still smiling, as she tore open the envelope.

**XXXXX**

King Yama was very surprised when the doors to his throne chamber burst open, an angry Botan flying through them. The fairy girl flew under the curtain that hid Yama's face and floated straight up, staring into Yama's giant eyes.

"What is the meaning of this, Botan?" Yama asked sternly.

"You know damn well what's going on!" shouted Botan. "You've been sacrificing souls to keep your little pet priestess alive! How could you be afraid of Yusuke when you've been doing things far worse than anything a demon could do?"

"It is not your place to question my authority in such matters, nor is it wise of you to do so," said Yama. "It is no secret that you still sympathize with the Ma-zoku and my traitor son. I granted you clemency, and you turn against Spirit World anyways."

"What are you talking about?" Botan demanded.

Yama withdrew a piece of paper. "Do you know what this is?"

Botan's blood ran cold. She struggled to remain calm as she shook her head.

"This is a printout of one of the messages you sent to Koenma. You have been giving him information. Traitor!" Yama snapped as he seized Botan in his massive fist. "You know the penalty to those who betray Spirit World."

Botan panicked. She began struggling, thrashing around in a fruitless attempt to escape. Oblivious to her screams and tears, Yama stepped out onto his balcony and, with a powerful throw, sent Botan flying towards the burning shrine she had seen through Kikyo's window only a short time ago.

Yama had cast her into Hell.

**XXXXX**

Botan crashed through the gate of the burning shrine and floated through a black void which was silent except for her screams. Soon she saw a spark of red light, like a fire in the middle of a dark forest, coming closer and closer. She heard the distant screams and moans, the crackling of flames, and the ring of whips and swords. The light grew into the deep pit of Hell. The pit was deep and seemingly lined with damned souls and torturers. The walls were cliffs of jagged rock where souls were tormented. Some were immersed in fire or lava, some were beaten and slashed by ogres, others were encased directly in the stone walls, and billions of other souls suffering billions of different punishments.

Botan crashed to the ground as a giant blade slashed her back wide open. For the first time, her voice joined the screaming chorus of the damned. She managed to look up. Through her blurry vision, she managed to see a burly, vicious green ogre with a hungry smile stretched across his broad face. This ogre was nothing like George and the other ogres she had once worked with. Good, ol' George, thought Botan, her delirious mind starting to wander.

A sickening crunch and a fresh explosion of pain brought Botan out of her daze. The ogre was reaching into the gash on her back, breaking through bones. His hand began grinding away at the girl's organs. Finally, he ripped out a chunk of her liver and stuffed it greedily into his mouth.

The pain had become unbearable, with Botan wishing that she would die. But she knew that death would be merciful and mercy was never allowed in Hell. Her organs began regenerating slowly, the healing just as painful as the wounds themselves.

"Delicious," the ogre hissed. "What should I take next? The kidney? The stomach? Or maybe the heart! I have an eternity to feed off you." The creature got in one last chuckle before his head exploded in a burst of blood and splinters of bone. Standing over him was Toguro.

"Stop him!" shouted one of the ogres. "Toguro is rebelling!"

Toguro scooped Botan up in his arm while batting off the ogres with his other arm. At his maximum strength, he made short work of them. Dozens of other hell-sufferers crowded around him, shouting for him to save them. "Wicked, criminal men," Toguro muttered to himself. He stomped on the ground, creating a powerful earthquake. The hell-sufferers all collapsed. Toguro began running for the walls of the pit, unhindered by the souls that tried to grab on to him.

"Look out!" shouted Botan as a group of ogres hurled spears at them. Toguro clutched Botan against his chest, shielding her with his back. Most of the spears snapped against his toughened skin, but one went through and stuck into the pack of muscle on his shoulder blade. Toguro didn't notice. He leapt up the walls of the pit, pushing aside other hell-sufferers, letting them fall. He grimaced through the ogres's volleys of arrows and spirit energy until he managed to climb to the top of the pit. He set Botan down.

The deity of death opened her eyes. It felt strange to be on the brim of Hell. It seemed as if everything around her was a big, endless nothing. "Why did you help me, Toguro?" she asked.

"I always envied beings like you," said Toguro. "You deities live such long, pure lives, free from age or sickness. Men like me have to give up our souls just to get what you're born with. I'd hate to see you waste your life in that place. Goodbye, Botan." Before Botan realized what he intended to do, Toguro had already leapt back into the pit of Hell.

Summoning her oar, Botan flew up towards the tiny light that was the doorway back to Spirit World. She burst out the gate and flew away from the burning shrine.

"Stop right there!" someone shouted. Two SDF soldiers flew in pursuit of her. One fired a bolt of white light, barely missing Botan. The two warriors continued firing, forcing Botan towards Yama's castle, where more warriors were waiting for her.

A glowing arrow shot past her, singing her hair, and struck one of the soldiers in the neck. He screamed as the arrow tore through his body. A second arrow blasted the second warrior's head right off. Botan saw Kikyo, standing behind a large hole blown through her window. After a moment's hesitation, Botan flew towards Kikyo, her arm extended. "Take my hand!" she shouted. She pulled Kikyo onto the oar and descended through the clouds. The priestess raised a barrier to protect them from pursuing soldiers.

"Where are we going, Botan?" shouted Kikyo.

"Human World."


	10. The Power of Taboo

**The Corpse**

**Chapter 10: The Power of Taboo**

Botan pounded on the compound's gate. "Genkai! Master Genkai!" she called.

The gate was pulled open and she saw not Genkai but Yusuke. "Quiet down, will you? She's sleeping."

"In the afternoon?" asked Botan. "Genkai's not the sort of person who would take naps."

"Old age is catching up with her, I guess," said Yusuke. He glanced at the dark-haired woman in priestess clothing behind Botan. "Hi there," he said. "And you are?"

"This is Kikyo," Botan said coldly. "She escaped from Spirit World with me."

"Escaped? What happened?" Yusuke led them inside the house. They seated themselves around a table.

"They found out about my correspondence with Koenma," said Botan. "Yama threw me into Hell." She shuddered at the thought.

"How did you get out?" asked Yusuke.

"Toguro saved me," said Botan. "Then Kikyo helped me."

"Well, come on in," said Yusuke.

"Perhaps we shouldn't," said Kikyo. "If we stay for long, it will bring Spirit World here."

"Don't worry about it," said Yusuke. "Spirit World's been after me for a while and they haven't gotten me yet. Us fugitives gotta stick together."

"Why is Spirit World after your life, Yusuke?" asked Kikyo.

"I worked for them for a while, before they found out that I was the descendant of a very dangerous demon."

"You're a half demon, then?"

"Something like that, yeah." Yusuke paused as Kikyo's eyes became distant and a wry smile appeared on her face, as if half-demons brought up some amusing memory. Keeping his voice friendly, Yusuke asked, "What's so funny?"

"Hm? Sorry, but I've always had terrible luck around half-demons," said Kikyo. Yusuke did not know how to respond. There was an awkward silence for a moment.

"So, Yusuke," said Botan. "We have so much catching up to do. How's life?"

"Actually, my mother was killed just a few days ago."

"_What?_" exclaimed Botan. "How? Why?"

"It was a demon," said Yusuke. "And his name was Inuyasha."

**XXXXX**

Inuyasha squatted next to Kagome, peering at the thick scroll that had been dropped off at her doorstep this morning. The strange-smelling paper was written on with many different colored inks and had surprisingly detailed pictures.

"Inuyasha, stop reading over my shoulder!" Kagome snapped at him. She went back to reading the front page article.

**TOKYO MOTHER AND SON MISSING**

Atsuko Urameshi, 33, and her son Yusuke Urameshi, 17, disappeared from their Tokyo apartment last Monday. Police have yet to find any leads concerning why they left or where they went to. "We are all very worried," said Shuichi Minamino, a friend of Yusuke. "Atsuko and Yusuke have many concerned friends and we all hope that they return home safely."

"Yusuke Urameshi, huh?" Kagome looked up to see Ayame.

"What about him?"

"He's a demon, and a very dangerous one," said Ayame. "He's been living as a human for quite some time. Kagome, you and your team are to investigate his disappearance." Ayame held out a piece of paper. "This is the address of his apartment. I suggest you start there. Good luck. And remember your reward for completing this mission."

**XXXXX**

"Well, this is the place," said Kagome. They had chosen to come at night, when no one would be able to see them carrying their strange weapons.

"This is the room," said Miroku. He noticed a piece of paper taped to the door. He read, "'_If you should enter, take this advice. Do not say the word ice._' What's this?"

"We do what it says to do," said Sango. "Don't say that word."

"We've got no time to waste on stupid little limericks," said Inuyasha. "Let's just go."

The companions entered the apartment building, hands on their weapons. Inuyasha noticed one of the "light switches" that was so common in this era and flicked it on as he had learned to do. The apartment was instantly lit up revealing a teenager sitting in an armchair, reading a book. Instantly, demonic energy flooded the room.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" Inuyasha demanded.

"My name's Kaitou. Yuu Kaitou. As for your second question, I've come to intercept you."

"Intercept us?" asked Kagome. "You mean from Yusuke Urameshi?"

Kaitou flipped a page in his book. "It was foolish to come here. A criminal should never return to the scene of the crime."

"Crime?" said Kagome. "You mean…"

"Yes. The murder of Atsuko Urameshi."

"So, that friend Kido mentioned was Yusuke Urameshi. You, Kido, Yusuke, and Naraku are all working together. Is that right?" asked Inuyasha.

"Tell me something, Inuyasha," said Kaitou. "Out of all the humans you could have chosen, you chose to eat the mother of a former Spirit Detective. Quite a coincidence."

"Former Spirit Detective!" exclaimed Kagome.

Kaitou ignored her outburst. "Do you actually _need _to eat humans?"

"I don't eat humans at all," said Inuyasha. "C'mon. I don't see why we have to stay here." He headed for the door.

"I do," said Kaitou, holding up his hand. The bottle containing the Sacred Jewel shards shot out of Kagome's pocket and hovered over his hand. "These gems are made from a disembodied soul. I'm able to control them within my Territory."

"So, you work with disembodied souls?" Miroku tried to keep his voice even.

"Yeah. That's the consequence of saying the taboo word. The one posted on my door."

"I don't have to listen to this," said Inuyasha. "Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!" He charged at Kaitou, prepared to rip the bastard's face off. A shield of light sprung up between them, snapping one of Inuyasha's claws.

"Oh my. Looks like you broke a nail, Inuyasha."

"I don't have to take this from someone who doesn't have the balls to fight fair. Besides, how do we know you're telling the truth about that word? Just because you put a note on the door?"

"There's only one way to find out," said Kaitou, smiling widely. _First Hiei, now Inuyasha. There's a sucker born every minute._

"Fine," said Inuyasha. "_Ice._" Immediately, Inuyasha's stomach clenched and he exploded in golden light. His soul formed into a ball of yellow light and floated into Kaitou's hand, sitting beside the jewel shards.

Ignoring the horrified faces of Inuyasha's friends, Kaitou said, "Inuyasha was wrong about one thing. This is a fair fight. You see, I'm bound by the rules of my Territory as well. If you can get me to say the taboo word, I'll lose my soul and my Territory will shut down. Inuyasha will have his soul back and you'll have your jewels again. But to do that, you'll have to keep me talking. So you'd better talk about something that interests me."

"Don't listen to him," said Sango. "He's trying to decide our next move for us."

"If you can think of a better idea, you're welcome to try," said Kaitou. Sango simply glared at him. "Well, let's get started, then. Tell me about yourselves."

And Kagome did talk. She told him about falling the well and meeting her friends. She told him how she freed Inuyasha and broke the Shikon Jewel. She told him about how Naraku had turned Kikyo and Inuyasha against each other. Kaitou was quite the conversationalist. He seemed very interested in what Kagome had to say. But all the while, Kagome couldn't get him to say ice.

"Stop this!" said Miroku. "I'm getting very tired of this futile game. Obviously, no matter what we do, Kaitou won't say the taboo word. This is a waste of time!" Miroku tugged at his collar, trying to cool off.

"My, my, Master Monk," said Kaitou. "It seems that this frustration has got your blood boiling. Perhaps you'd like a drink to cool off? They're in that white box, the refrigerator."

Miroku eyed him suspiciously. Kaitou smiled. "Don't worry, Miroku. There's no booby traps. There's no violence in my Territory, remember?"

Miroku pulled open the refrigerator door and browsed through its sparse contents, which were mostly takeout leftovers. "Beer, sake, hmm, no soda," he muttered. "Anyone want some orange juice?" He gasped and doubled over, as if he had been punched.

"Miroku, are you alright?" cried Sango. Miroku's soul burst out of him, forming into a deep purple orb that floated into Kaitou's grasp.

"That's not fair!" Shippo shouted. "He didn't say ice! Uh-oh." Kaitou collected a third soul, this one the color of foxfire.

"This is quite a game," said Kaitou. "You've got two lives left."

**XXXXX**

Sorry I haven't updated for so long. College application time. I really appreciate my readers, especially those who review. PLEASE send a review, even if it's just a two-word comment. Any feedback would be great. I mean, 1137 hits but only 13 reviews? Come on!


	11. Breaking Taboo

**The Corpse**

**Chapter 11: Breaking Taboo**

Kagome and Sango stared helplessly at the jewel shards and the souls of their three friends, hovering over Kaitou's hand. The bespectacled psychic had a smug grin on his face. He was clearly enjoying his power over these people.

"You're cheating," said Sango. "Miroku didn't say your magic word. How did you get his soul?"

"That's quite a problem," said Kaitou. "But the solution really is quite simple. Think back to Miroku's last words. What did he say?"

Kagome put a finger to her chin. _Beer, sake, soda. Anyone want orange juice?_ She gasped. "Orange…er, OJ! It has the taboo word in it!"

"Bingo," said Kaitou. "But we're getting sidetracked. Please Kagome, let's continue our conversation. It was quite interesting."

"I think it's my turn to ask the questions," said Kagome. "Tell me Yusuke Urameshi's story. The Yusuke that you know."

Kaitou apparently thought highly of Yusuke. He told them of his work as a Spirit Detective, protecting humanity from the demons. He told them about how Yusuke saved the world from the madman Shinobu Sensui and traveled to Demon World, where he brought order to the demons and laid the groundwork for possible communication amongst the three worlds.

"Yusuke has many loyal and powerful friends," said Kaitou. "You've made many enemies by deciding to oppose him."

"It looks like we've misjudged Yusuke just like you misjudged Inuyasha…" Kagome said diplomatically.

"Kagome, shut up!" Sango snapped. She tightened her grip on her Hiraikotsu. "I'm tired of playing by this bastard's rules!" She lifted her weapon above her head.

"You're letting your brutish temper get the better of you," said Kaitou. "You can't hurt me while you're in my Territory."

"I know!" Sango shouted as she swung her Hiraikotsu. She did not strike Kaitou. Her weapon tore a giant hole in the ground beneath him, causing him to fall into the apartment below, which was fortunately deserted. Sango jumped down after him and grabbed him by his collar.

"You made me fall out of my Territory," said Kaitou. "Very clever."

"Thanks," Sango grunted before she punched him out.

**XXXXX**

Yuu Kaitou groaned. He had such an awful headache. _What the hell happened?_ he wondered. He could tell he was lying in a bed. _Was that all a dream?_

"He's awake," said a man's voice.

Strong arms pinned down his arms and legs while a pair of hands pried open his mouth and forced a bitter paste down his throat. It caused his stomach to burn. Kaitou opened his eyes to see Sango, Inuyasha, and Miroku glaring down at him. Looking around, he saw that he was in a motel room. Instinctively, he activated his Territory, causing the burning in his stomach to fade. He immediately set every letter as taboo.

Sango was prepared for this and held up a sheet of paper. It read, _I have just force fed you poison. The power of your territory should keep it from harming you. However, you cannot keep your territory up forever. You will eventually need rest. If you want the antidote, you will cancel all taboo letters and answer our questions._

Kaitou grimaced. _Yusuke, I'm sorry._

**XXXXX**

Knowing that Kaitou would seize the jewel shards the moment he was able, Kagome had decided to take them home with her. She drove back to her house with Shippo in the passenger seat.

"Kagome, look!" Shippo shouted.

Kagome gasped as she saw smoke and fire rising from the direction of her shrine. She sped down the road, ignoring the honks and shouts of other drivers, arriving at her home. "I sense demon energy. Shippo, wait in the car."

Kagome hurried up the steps, nocking an arrow. When she reached the top, she saw a lone figure, dark against the fire. Squirming in the demon's grasp was Kagome's mother.

The last words of Rumiko Higurashi were "Kagome, run!" In a flash of red light, a stream of blood poured from Rumiko's skull. The demon dropped her without a second thought.

Kagome lowered her bow, her eyes wide and her mouth open. She commanded her arms to fire an arrow, but they did not respond. She dropped to her knees, her whole body limp.

As the demon approached her, she could see his face. "It's you," she whispered. "Yusuke Urameshi."

Right before she fainted, she heard him say, "This is what happens to those who oppose me."

**XXXXX**

"_Where is Naraku?_"

A painful jolt of spirit energy shot through Sniper's body, threatening to burn him up from the inside. He clenched his teeth and glared defiantly at his tormentor.

Ootake, captain of the SDF, adjusted the dial on the torture device. "I'll ask you again. Where is Naraku?" Still no answer. Ootake pressed the switch again. This time, Sniper screamed out loud, if only for a few seconds.

"The pain is getting to you, isn't it?" said Ootake. "You can fight it all you want but you know that you're only human. You know that you'll reach your breaking point soon. That last shock was at level forty. This thing can go up to one-fifty and if I add my power, it can go far beyond that. Why don't we try level fifty?" He turned the dial again and pressed the switch.

Sniper really screamed this time, nonstop. Ootake smirked. The assassin's willpower was broken.

"Imagine three times that pain," said Ootake. Sniper choked back a sob. "Now just answer this simple question. Where is Naraku?"

**XXXXX**

Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed it. Don't forget to leave a review. They keep me motivated.


	12. Riot in Demon World

**The Corpse**

**Chapter 12: Riot in Demon World**

Naraku entered the chamber where he had made the kodoku, carrying the communicator that Youda had given to Hiei. Gleaning the fire demon's memories, Naraku learned what it was and how to use it. Pressing the proper switches, the demon lord sent the signal to Youda's team. Soon an orange light appeared inside the chamber. At first it was small and faint but it grew larger and brighter until it tore through the pseudospace itself and tore open a portal.

Naraku smiled behind his baboon mask before stepping through.

**XXXXX**

Youda and his team had set up their equipment tent quickly, eager to get on with Hiei's retrieval. The fire demon had been gone far longer than they expected without sending any communication. Soon the jagged blade of orange light appeared in the air and began to rip through it. The portal was ready.

"Sir!" a technician called to Youda. "We've got someone coming through the portal."

"Is it Hiei?" Youda asked.

"It's Hiei's demon energy but it's different," said the technician. Youda hurried over and looked at the readouts of the demon energy scans. Suddenly, there was a rapid change in the energy's wavelength.

"That's not Hiei!" cried Youda. "Seal the portal now!"

The technicians scrambled to carry out their leader's command, but it was too late. Several tendrils, resembling wooden tree branches, shot out of the portal and latched on to them. The tendrils belonged to a strange demon wrapped in a baboon pelt.

"Who are you?" Youda shouted as a wooden tentacle wrapped tightly around his waist. The demon did not answer. It only pulled the poor scientist into itself. Youda screamed as he felt his body disintegrate, his cells being pulled in to feed this creature.

**XXXXX**

Mukuro was awoken from her slumber by a knocking on her bedchamber door. She rose, wrapped herself in a robe, and pulled open the door to find her former servant, Kirin.

"Lor-… er, Lady Mukuro," Kirin greeted her with a bow.

"This is the age of democracy, or whatever it's called," said Mukuro. "There's no need for the title. Has Hiei returned?"

"Actually, no. There's been a complication," said Kirin. Mukuro raised an eyebrow, which for the calm demoness, was the equivalent of a loud gasp.

"The team of technicians sent to retrieve Hiei last week have all disappeared. The portal is growing rapidly. It won't be long before it is comparable to the one made by the human Shinobu Sensui. Hordes of demons are already flocking to it. Enki is sending the patrols out to control the mob."

"Then let's go."

**XXXXX**

Riding in Mukuro's centipede tanks, the patrols devoted to the safety of humans rode out to the Forest of Fools, preparing to control and, if necessary, fight the demons who were rebelling against Enki's command.

When they reached the site of the disturbance, even Mukuro could not keep her jaw from dropping at the sheer size of the mob. None of the patrol members had seen so many demons in one place before.

"Something's weird about this," Rinku said nervously.

"Right ye are, Rinku," said Jin. "All these demons are itchin' for human blood, yet they're standing in line like good li'l lasses and laddies. What's up?"

"That's right," said Touya. "These demons have been craving the pain of humans for a very long time. You'd expect this scene to be more chaotic."

"There must be some kind of leader keeping things under control. An authority figure," said Suzuka. "More than likely that it's the person who's opened the portal in the first place."

Chu gasped. "Hey, mates. You sense that?"

There was a long silence before Shishiwakamaru said, "Yes, definitely. This one's the strongest demon here. Definitely the leader."

"Looks like we've got a real fight on our hands," said Mukuro.

Chu took a deep gulp of beer and belched. "Ripper!"

**XXXXX**

"Lord Naraku," said one demon, "when will the portal be ready?"

"Soon," said Naraku. "But I have to make arrangements on the other side."

"That's bullshit!" shouted another demon, pushing his way forward. "I want in now!" A blast of demon energy shot out from his eyes, striking Naraku and exploding in a burst of red light.

The demon was quite strong, a B class with the potential to reach the A class. But when the smoke cleared, Naraku was intact. Not even his cloak was damaged.

In a swift, single motion, Naraku drew a katana from underneath his cloak and slashed off the offending demon's head.

Suddenly, a giant wave of red demon energy washed over the crowd, destroying several demons. In the middle of the destruction stood a red haired, female demon with a mask covering half her face. Naraku held up his bloodstained katana, preparing to meet this powerful new foe.

Naraku searched through the memories of the demons he had absorbed. "Mukuro," he said.

"And you are?" asked Mukuro.

"I am called Naraku."

A bolt of red light sprang from Mukuro's fist. Naraku barely managed to dodge it. A long wooden tendril, as heavy as a club, struck her in the side, batting her onto the ground. Several demons leapt onto her, clawing, punching, and biting. She blew them away with a simple burst of power. Another tendril wrapped around her, which she tore apart with her hands. She struck Naraku square in the face, stomach, and again in the face in rapid succession. She grabbed his throat as she screamed, "What have you done with Hiei?"

Naraku laughed. "Hiei?" he asked, his voice surprisingly strong considering that Mukuro was trying to crush his windpipe. "Ah, yes, the fire demon. If you want to know what happened to him, you'll have to come and find out." Naraku levitated off the floor and floated through the portal. His voice left one final message to his followers. "Fellow demons," his voice projected over the crowd, "I must journey to the Human World to prepare for our final triumph. I shall return soon."

"Mukuro!" shouted Chu. "There's too many of 'em. They just keep coming. We have to retreat!"

Mukuro glanced over her shoulder. The centipede tanks were already pulling out. She looked back at the portal which would lead her Hiei. She made her decision. "Leave without me!" she shouted back to Chu. She leapt through the portal with only one thought in mind. _Hiei._

**XXXXX**

Kagome pounded desperately on the door. After what seemed like hours, Kagome's friend Yuka answered. "Hello," she said.

"Yuka, I have to tell you something. Someone burned down my house and…"

"Excuse me. Who are you?"

Kagome froze. "Yuka, it's me. Kagome. Kagome Higurashi."

"I don't know any Kagome Higurashi. How do you know my name?" Yuka's voice got higher with fear.

"Yuka, you don't remember me?" Kagome asked. She never got an answer. Yuka shut and locked the door. Kagome knew it would be pointless to try and talk to her again. But why had Yuka forgotten her?

Kagome gasped as she realized what had happened. She snatched up her communication mirror. "Ayame, where the hell are you?" she shouted.

Ayame's cold face appeared on the screen. "Kagome," she said in greeting.

"Ayame, you erased Yuka's memories of me," Kagome said.

"Yes, as well as the memories of all people who knew you and whatever official records kept on you. If you were to return to your home, you would find a new house and shrine, being taken care of by Spirit World operatives posing as humans."

"Then that means…" Kagome could not bring herself to finish.

"As far as Human World is concerned, you never existed."

Kagome sat down on Yuka's doorstep, only to have Yuka's father throw open the door and point a shotgun at her, ordering her to leave their property. Kagome took off and ran, tears flowing down her face. "How could you do this?" sobbed Kagome.

"You must understand this, Kagome. Human World must be kept unaware of Spirit World. That is what allows Spirit World and Human World to function together. A triple homicide would not be forgotten and you, as the only surviving family member, would end up as a prime suspect. This is for your own good, Kagome."

Kagome slowed to a walk. "What now?" she whispered. "What am I supposed to do now?"

Ayame only said two words. "Spirit Detective."

**XXXXX**

Christmas vacation is almost done. Soon school will get in the way of my fanfics again. Phooey.

Thank you to all my readers and a shout out to all my reviewers**: AngelusTheAngelicDemon, Kage Otome, Inuyasha's hun, vi3tdream27, kogas-mate, Mr. Shishio, **and **lonelylulaby**. Sorry to any reviewers I missed.

Let your voices be heard! Leave a review.


	13. Tetsusaiga vs Rose Whip

**The Corpse**

**Chapter 13: Tetsusaiga vs. Rose Whip**

Kagome felt…empty.

She felt as if she had nothing. Her home was destroyed, her family was dead, and her friends had forgotten her. The only thing that gave her life meaning now was revenge.

And revenge was her goal now. It was what kept her driving so late into the night. Kagome and her friends had piled into her car. Yuu Kaitou was in the back seat being guarded by Miroku, Sango, and Kirara. Ropes bound his arms and legs while sutra cards held his powers in check. He was guiding her to Genkai's compound, where he knew Yusuke was staying.

"This is the place," said Kaitou. Kagome pulled into a small clearing that was apparently meant to be used for parking.

They all climbed out of the car, Sango loosening the ropes on Kaitou's legs so that he could walk but not run. She forced him ahead of the group, pointing her sword at him. "Lead the way," she commanded.

The forest was probably beautiful in the daytime, but at night, everything becomes more frightening. The crooked tree limbs, drooping with vines and leaves, looked like skeletal arms, reaching out to seize them. For some reason, Inuyasha found himself thinking about his fight with Sniper, where anything around him could be the enemy's weapon.

Everyone jumped when Kaitou let out a laugh. "What's so funny?" Inuyasha snapped at him.

"Oh, nothing," Kaitou answered, still smiling. _These fools never learned to mask their energy. Yusuke and the others must definitely sense them now._

Inuyasha sniffed the air. "What's that?" A cloud of thick smoke was beginning to blanket the area. Soon Inuyasha could not see the nose in front of his face.

"Where's this smoke coming from?" Inuyasha heard Miroku say.

"Kaitou! Miroku!" Sango cried out.

"What happened?" asked Kagome.

"It's Kaitou and Miroku," said Sango. "They just disappeared. Something just snatched them away."

Kagome heard the sounds of growling and snapping wood. Kirara was struggling. Kagome frantically tried to help the cat demon, but could not see her through the smoke. The sounds of the struggle stopped and Kagome knew that Kirara had been captured.

"Kagome, I'm scared." Shippo cuddled closer to Kagome's leg.

"It's okay," Kagome said softly. "Everything's gonna be…ah! Shippo!"

"This thing got Shippo?" said Inuyasha. "Damn all this smoke!"

"Yeah," said Kagome. "It snatched him up. He must be somewhere in the trees. Shippo, can you hear me?" she shouted. She gasped as she heard the Hiraikotsu tearing through the treetops. "Sango, don't! You could hit Shippo! Sango?" No answer.

Then she sensed something. It seemed to be a strange mix between a human and a demon aura, as if there were two individuals in one body. Without hesitation, she took an arrow and fired.

**XXXXX**

Kurama had surprised himself at his own carelessness. He had let his guard down for just a moment, but that was enough for the priestess girl to detect his energy and fire an arrow in his direction. It missed, but the priestess's energy singed him. The redhaired fox demon lost his footing and fell to the ground, landing almost directly in front of Kagome. Kurama lashed out with his Rose Whip, trying to sting the girl in a way that would put her to sleep. But at the last moment, Inuyasha blocked the whip with his sword. The Rose Whip coiled around the massive blade, locking the two combatants together.

Inuyasha grunted, tugging at the Rose Whip. "Kagome, go on ahead. At least one of us should make it."

Kagome nodded and ran past Kurama. Kurama glanced at her, but Inuyasha pulled at the whip again. "Hey!" he said. "Your opponent is me." He pulled the Tetsusaiga free. "Wind Scar!" Kurama nimbly jumped over the Wind Scar and landed behind Inuyasha. At the same time, he commanded one of the tree branches to lower the captured Miroku in the path of the Wind Scar, pulling him away just in time.

Inuyasha turned. Kurama locked his cold green eyes with Inuyasha's fiery golden ones. "I wouldn't recommend doing that again. Every plant around me obeys my command and I can easily put one of your friends in harm's way. So in a sense, I have you surrounded."

**XXXXX**

"Priestess Kikyo?"

Kikyo looked down at the young ice demon, Yukina, offering her a steaming cup of tea. "Thank you, Yukina," she said, smiling down at the girl. Though she had been staying with Genkai for only a few days, Kikyo had grown fond of the innocent ice maiden, like a little sister or daughter.

Inuyasha's attack on Atsuko was too much of a coincidence. If the demon had needed to eat a human, he could have chosen any human in the city. It seemed to be a big coincidence that the human he chose was the mother of a former Spirit Detective. Genkai thought it was more likely that Inuyasha had some unknown vendetta against Yusuke and was targeting those close to him. Genkai had called all of Yusuke's old teammates to the safety of her compound. Strength in numbers, she had said.

Koenma, Keiko, Botan, and Shizuru were kept inside the building while the fighters Genkai, Yusuke, Kuwabara, Yana, and Mitarai waited outside on the lookout for their enemies.

At the gate, Yusuke Urameshi stood on the wall with a pair of binoculars, Kazuma Kuwabara next to him. Kurama had insisted on confronting these intruders alone, wanting to learn about their abilities before committing all their fighters to a battle. It was what he always did.

Yusuke yelled, "It's Kaitou. Open the gates!"

Yana and Mitarai unbarred and opened the heavy wooden doors. Kaitou was scratched and shaken, but not badly hurt.

"Kaitou, you okay?" asked Yana, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Yeah," said Kaitou. "Shuichi saved me." He looked Yusuke. "One of them is Inuyasha, the one who attacked your mother."

"I thought that energy signature was familiar…hey! Kikyo, where are you going?" Yusuke saw the priestess walk calmly out the doors, ignoring his call. Soul collectors, glowing with a pale light, wrapped themselves around her and carried her into the air.

**XXXXX**

The tree branch crashed onto the ground like a giant fist, barely missing the agile dog demon. In the course of the fight, Kurama had suffered a deep wound to his leg while Inuyasha sported several cuts from the Rose Whip with thorns sticking into his skin. The smokescreen had already dissipated and Inuyasha could see and smell his friends, trapped in the treetops and unconscious.

"So, Kurama, was it?" said Inuyasha. "What are you getting out of this?"

"What exactly do you mean?"

"Why are you helping Yusuke Urameshi? You don't help someone like him unless you're getting something out of it."

"I used to think like that, but those days are far behind me!" said Kurama. "I'm doing this to help my friend."

Inuyasha tried to respond but froze. _That scent! It can't be…Kikyo?_

As if in answer, a sacred arrow shot down from the sky, barely missing Kurama. The arrow's energy burned Kurama once more. Inuyasha, disregarding every rule of combat and common sense, took his eyes off of Kurama to look behind him. There he saw Kikyo, carried by her soul collectors, readying another arrow.

"What are you doing, Kikyo?" Kurama gasped through the pain.

"That arrow would have killed you if it weren't for your human side," said Kikyo. "Do whatever you want to the others, but you may not harm Inuyasha."

"Inuyasha is the only one here I want to fight," said Kurama. When he said this, Inuyasha realized that Kurama had no desire to harm the others. With that in mind, Inuyasha attacked with his Wind Scar, knowing that Kurama would not use the others as human shields. Kurama took a direct hit.

The fox demon struggled to his feet, knowing that he could not fight the Wind Scar. Despite his injuries, Kurama leapt into the treetops with incredible grace and agility, retreating back to the compound. Inuyasha could not help but be impressed.

The soul collectors lowered Kikyo to the ground. "Inuyasha," she said.

"Kikyo, what are you doing here?" Inuyasha asked in surprise.

"I should ask you the same thing," said Kikyo. "You disappear five hundred years ago and suddenly come back?"

"I disappeared? What are you talking about?" But Inuyasha froze as he sniffed the air. "That scent…"

"Yes," said Kikyo. "Naraku."

**XXXXX**

Kaitou pulled Yana aside and whispered to him, "Yana, something's not right."

"What is it?"

"Inuyasha's group claims that Yusuke killed Kagome's family and denies that Inuyasha killed Atsuko. Yusuke claims that Inuyasha killed Atsuko and denies killing Kagome's family. These are two completely separate events, yet they are turning our two groups against each other. It's just too much of a coincidence. I want you to find Inuyasha and Copy him. We need to know what's going on."


	14. Sacred Arrow vs Spirit Gun

**The Corpse**

**Chapter 14: Sacred Arrow vs. Spirit Gun**

Kagome only saw one thing as she sprinted down the path towards her goal, the cold face of the demon Yusuke Urameshi. She saw him burning down her home and shooting her helpless mother in the head. She heard his cruel voice over and over in her mind, saying, "This is what happens to those who oppose me."

Kagome skidded to a stop, stumbling and scraping her knees as she had a sudden realization. She was alone. This would be the first time she went into a battle without her friends. For a moment, she considered turning back to join Inuyasha.

Kagome shook her head. She could not rely on Inuyasha to help her. This was her fight, her revenge. She started down the path once more.

**XXXXX**

Yusuke and Kuwabara stood on the wall of the compound, watching for their enemies when the saw Kurama struggling up the steps. The two boys jumped down to help him. "Open the gates!" called Kuwabara.

Once they had helped Kurama inside, Botan, Yukina, and Genkai all began working to heal his serious injuries. However, Genkai soon ran out of energy and had to rest, leaving Botan and Yukina to do the work.

"Who did this to you, Kurama?" asked Mitarai.

"It was the priestess. Kikyo," Kurama said faintly. Yukina gasped.

"Why?" asked Kaitou.

"She wouldn't let me harm Inuyasha."

"Ohh, I knew I shouldn't have trusted her!" Botan huffed. "But what do you expect from someone who lives off of human souls."

"I sense someone," Yukina said. "I- I think it's Hiei."

"The shrimp?" grunted Kuwabara. "What's he doing here?"

"No," said Kurama. "It's not Hiei. It's similar, but it's not him."

"That's true," said an unfamiliar voice. "I am not this Hiei." A demon dressed in a baboon cloak stood by the closed gates. He was a powerful demon, yet not even the Kuwabaras had sensed him approaching.

"Just who are you? And what are you doing in my home?" Genkai demanded. Though her voice was weak, her presence was still very intimidating.

The demon bowed. "Forgive me for intruding. My name is Naraku and I am here because we have a common enemy. Inuyasha and his band." The demon raised his masked face the moon, as if hearing some inaudible message. "One of them is coming."

"He's right," said Kuwabara. "It's that new Spirit Detective, Kagome Something-or-Other."

_"Urameshi!"_ Kagome shouted. In a burst of pale pink light, the door to the compound exploded into a thousand splinters, leaving no trace of it at all. Yusuke found himself face to face with his successor.

"Spirit World just keeps sending new detectives to kill the old ones," Yusuke quipped. "They're getting into a pretty bad pattern."

"Forget Spirit World!" Kagome cried. "I'm here for me!" She pulled back her bowstring. Her arrow began to glow.

"I didn't kill your family," said Yusuke, "but why should I bother to tell you? You wouldn't believe me anyway." A spark of red light formed at the end of his right index finger.

"You're in league with Naraku!" Kagome shouted accusingly.

"I met him less than a minute ago, literally." Both combatants fired their weapons at the same time. Pink light collided with red, pressing against each other before they both distorted, melded together, and exploded.

Yusuke, being the more experienced fighter, used this opportunity. While Kagome was distracted Yusuke struck her in the stomach, sending her flying back through the doorways and into the trees. She struggled to stand but, severely weakened, fainted and collapsed.

"Well done, Yusuke," said Naraku.

"Thanks," said Yusuke, gathering Kagome's bow and arrows. "But why do you need our help? You're strong enough on your own."

"You may have defeated Kagome in hand-to-hand combat, but the powers of her and her friends must not be underestimated," said Naraku, but he was interrupted by a loud cry from Genkai.

The old woman was doubled over, coughing and clutching at her chest. "This is it!" she gasped out. "It's my time." She gritted her teeth and closed her eyes, ignoring the cries of the people around her. Yukina and Botan surrounded her with white light, trying desperately to heal her, but their attempts were in vain. Soon Genkai's face softened and her eyes closed, as if she were going to sleep. The group just stood around, stunned. Then Botan began sniffing. The blue haired fairy girl collapsed over the old martial artist's body, sobbing uncontrollably. Yukina soon joined her. Keiko was calmer, but tears poured from her eyes as well. The others just held a solemn silence.

"Excuse me," said Naraku, "but perhaps I could be of service." He held a jewel shard between his fingers.

Koenma raised his eyebrows. "That's a Shikon Jewel shard."

"Yes," said Naraku. "Her spirit hasn't been taken to Spirit World yet. I can bring her back."

"Do it!" Botan blurted out.

"Perhaps it is for the best," said Kurama. "Spirit World will not judge her fairly due to her association with Yusuke." It was a very persuasive statement. The others agreed. Naraku placed the jewel shard over Genkai's heart, letting it sink into her body.

Genkai slowly opened her eyes. "Am I dead? Is this heaven?" she looked around, dazed. "Oh, no! Yusuke's here! This must be the other place!"

"SHUT UP, GRANDMA!" Yusuke shouted.

"You shut up. Dimwit!" Genkai snapped back. Laughing, she pulled her apprentice into a hug. "Damn, damn, damn. Doesn't anyone on our team stay dead?"

"Now, about my proposition," said Naraku.

Yusuke looked at each of the others, silently polling them. Finally he nodded. "All right. We'll be working together from now on."

"Then I have a request of you," said Naraku. He opened his palm, revealing seven more jewel shards.

"Naraku!" Kikyo hovered over the wall, supported by her soul collectors. She readied her arrow.

Yusuke pointed his Spirit Gun at her, a shot ready at his fingertip.

"Do not listen to him, Yusuke!" Kikyo shouted. "He is a deceiver. Allying with him will bring about your own destruction."

"I beg to differ, Kikyo," said Botan, motioning to Genkai.

"Neither my innocence nor my guilt can be proven," said Naraku. "But tell me, Yusuke, who would you rather trust? The one who saved your teacher, or the one who attacked your friend?"

In that instant, Yusuke made his decision. His Spirit Gun struck Kikyo, destroying her soul collectors. As Kikyo landed, she loosed another arrow. Kuwabara blocked it with his Jigen-to. The arrow shattered.

Then Naraku stepped forward. An appendage that looked like a giant spider's leg extended from under his cloak. With one powerful swing, he sent Kikyo flying into the wall, severely injured. Yusuke took aim again, this time deciding to use his Demon Energy Gun. But as he tried to fire it at Kikyo, something stopped him and his demon energy faded.

_What the hell? _Yusuke thought. _My Spirit Gun worked just fine against her. Why didn't my Demon Gun work?_

Kikyo took advantage of Yusuke's hesitation. Her soul collectors picked her up again as she made her escape, pausing only to gather Kagome in her arms.

Yusuke started to pursue her but was stopped by Kuwabara, holding his Spirit Sword in front of him. "Let her go, Urameshi. How many more women you gonna blast today?"

"Auggh, not this again!" Yusuke groaned.

**XXXXX**

It had been hard for Yana to travel off the path, crunching his way through the vegetation. Soon he heard Inuyasha cursing and striking at wood. "This wood is tough," Yana heard Inuyasha grumble. "Kurama must've strengthened it with his powers."

Inuyasha was up in the branches, working to free his friends. Yana curled his hand around a rock and hurled it. The stone struck Inuyasha in the forehead. It did not hurt him, but the surprise caused him to lose balance and drop out of the tree. Yana rushed forward and touched Inuyasha's head. Inuyasha looked up just in time to see this strange boy transform into a duplicate of himself.

Yana felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. It was true! Inuyasha did not kill Atsuko. Yana learned about Naraku's deceptive ways, how that sociopath turned people against each other just for the hell of it. Using Inuyasha's speed, Yana ran back into the trees. Inuyasha watched him run away but chose to continue trying to free his friends.

Yana sniffed the air with Inuyasha's nose. _Naraku's scent! I have to hurry._ Yana quickly returned to his original form and ran through the brush as fast as he could. He was instantly on guard when a young girl materialized in front of him. She was pale, dressed in white, and held a silver-framed mirror. Yana stared into it, seeing his own reflection. Suddenly, he stiffened and felt himself being pulled out of his body and into the mirror.

**XXXXX**

All right, another chapter done! Unfortunately, today's the last day of my Christmas break and I'll be going back to school again. Thank you to all my readers and reviewers. But I realize that some people are reading but not reviewing. **baka2235, Bluerose41, Endevorer, Kagome Lady of Darkness, Kagomes Twin Sis, sheik101, Faded Moonlight, Geasa17, Lady Inari, Sessywuver, **and **Tiger-Eyed-Kitsune, **I'm looking in your direction. I appreciate your reading my story, but I want to hear from you guys. Just a quick comment would be great. Thanks for reading.


	15. Battle in Sakyo's Mansion

**The Corpse**

**Chapter 15: Battle in Sakyo's Mansion **

Mukuro emerged from the portal in a vast, unlit chamber. The chamber was wet with blood and water and littered with bits of demon flesh. _This must be the large gathering of demons that Hiei was sent to investigate, _Mukuro thought.

"Naraku!" she shouted into the darkness. She could not sense the mighty demon's energy signature.

"Lady Mukuro, welcome to my home," said Naraku's voice.

"Show yourself, you coward!" Mukuro shouted. Naraku responded with a mocking laugh.

The chamber's electric lights flickered, revealing a large group of demons with wormlike bodies. They swarmed Mukuro like a school of piranha, growling and slobbering. Mukuro punched the air and the nearest demon exploded in a burst of red. She fired bolts of red demon energy from her fists, blasting away Naraku's minions. One hapless demon foolishly got too close. Mukuro punched through his skull and ripped out a chunk of his brain. Another demon tried to flank her. Mukuro ripped off its jawbone, letting it dangle by the skin of the demon's throat, and thrust her hand through the roof of its mouth and into its head.

Naraku sent a second horde of demons after her. Mukuro quickly used her ability to divide space. Several rays of light appeared in the air. The demons, more fearful of Naraku than Mukuro, charged straight into this deadly net, slicing themselves apart.

"Well done, Mukuro." Naraku reappeared.

"I'll only ask one more time, Naraku. Where is Hiei?"

"You want to know?" asked Naraku. "Do you realize what I am? I am not a single individual. I'm made up of legions of demons combined into one body."

Mukuro had heard of demons similar to Naraku. They were incredibly rare; Mukuro could count the known ones on her hands. But her blood ran cold as she realized what had happened to Hiei.

"Yes, Mukuro. Hiei is a part of me now." The demon rolled back his sleeve, revealing the mark of the Dragon of the Darkness Flame on his arm. "Kill me and Hiei dies."

"Damn you, Naraku."

**XXXXX**

Naraku sat up in the spectator's box with Kagura, watching Mukuro battle with the demon puppet. What the puppet had said to Mukuro was not entirely true. Though Naraku did possess Hiei's Jagan eye and Dragon of the Darkness Flame, Hiei himself had become one of Naraku's detachments and was residing in a secure, heavily guarded cell once used by Sakyo to contain his demon merchandise. The fire demon had been severely weakened, losing most of his power to Naraku. But he was still powerful and, unlike the weakling Onigumo, had retained his memories.

Naraku looked over his shoulder as a pitch black hole appeared in the air behind him. "At last."

As a demon stepped through the dark hole, Kagura opened her fan. "Who the hell are you?"

"Calm yourself, Kagura." Naraku rose to greet the demon. "Welcome. I've been expecting you."

"Have you?"

Naraku nodded. "I knew you would eventually come here to investigate the tunnel."

"What I want to know is how you found out about me and why you're opening this tunnel."

"For your first question, this is my answer." Naraku opened his shining Jagan eye. "And for your second question, the answer is quite simple. I opened this tunnel to lure you here."

The demon did not get a chance to respond. He suddenly collapsed as the poisonous stinger of a saimyoushou insect pierced his neck. His eyes rolled back as the insects swarmed over his body, binding him in their beeswax.

"But I do have one question for you," said Naraku. "All the time I've watched you, you've just been carrying on a one-sided conversation with that corpse. Tell me your name."

The demon was too weak to resist. "Itsuki…"

**XXXXX**

Mukuro smashed through Naraku's tree-root tendrils, working her way towards his body. The tendrils formed giant claws that started grabbing at her while Naraku's body emitted a miasma that would have killed a weaker demon. As one claw tried to grab her, Mukuro leaped on top of it and from there, knocked off Naraku's head with a spinning kick. Yet the body kept thrashing around.

Mukuro scrambled up Naraku's body, looking at the hole where the head had once been. Looking inside, she saw a wooden figurine wrapped with a strand of hair. "Demon puppetry?" she hissed. She thrust her hand into the hole, tore out the figurine, and crushed with her bare hands. The demon puppet immediately collapsed and disintegrated. Once again, she heard Naraku laughing at her.

"If the puppet was that tough, I'd hate to meet the one who pulls the strings." Mukuro was shaken from her thoughts when she sensed a powerful demonic energy which seemed to come from the empty darkness above her. It was not Naraku, but it was strong. Without thinking, she launched an energy blast in the direction of the unseen demon. As the smoke cleared, she caught a glimpse of a spectator box exploding before a thick cloud of miasma billowed out around it. Within the cloud she could sense three demons. One was Naraku. The other had an aura similar to Naraku's, though weaker. The third was completely different.

Mukuro's body blazed with energy as she prepared to pursue the fleeing Naraku. "What is more important to you?" asked Naraku. "My blood, or Hiei's life?"

Mukuro's energy faded. "What are you talking about?"

"I've retained Hiei's strongest powers but Hiei himself is no longer a part of me," said Naraku. "I removed him."

Mukuro smirked. "I guess he proved to be too much for you to handle," she said. "Now, where can I find him?"

"A cell in the basement. But I warn you, you might find his aura a bit…different." The poisonous cloud faded. The demons inside had vanished, of course. An electric light switched on, revealing a spiral staircase. Mukuro followed it down to a basement that resembled a prison. The walls were lined with several empty cells, blocked not with bars but with thick glass that could be broken only by the strongest demon energy.

"Hey! Who the hell are you?" shouted one of the demon guards. Mukuro wasted no time. She sprinted up to him and chopped his head clean off. The remaining guards fired a barrage of energy blasts at her, but they were about as effective as spitballs. Mukuro made short work of them.

Searching their bodies, Mukuro found a plastic key card. _Hiei must be here, _thought Mukuro. _These demons wouldn't be protecting empty cells._

Mukuro hurried down the hall, hoping to find a trace of Hiei's demon energy. Finally, she found her friend, crouched down against the wall of a dimly lit cell, eyes shut. She saw that he was missing his third eye as well as the dragon mark on his arm. No matter how hard she focused, she could not sense his energy signature. Perhaps it was a property of this glass.

Taking out the key card, Mukuro unlocked the door and threw it open, shouting Hiei's name. The fire demon's eyes opened halfway. He stared at Mukuro, dazed. It took a moment for him to recognize her. "Mukuro…" he groaned. Mukuro gently helped him up before wrapping him in a tight embrace, feeling a large patch of scar tissue on his back.

"Hiei, your energy…it's like Naraku's now. But, weaker."

"Yes. That creature Naraku stole it." Hiei's voice was bitter.

Mukuro tightened her embrace. The Jagan and the Dragon, the fruits of Hiei's training, his trials, his suffering, had been snatched away in one fell swoop. "We have to go." Mukuro led Hiei out of his cell and back up into the large chamber where a fresh legion of demons was waiting for them. "Hiei, stand back!" Mukuro commanded.

"It's Mukuro and her boy-toy!" shouted one demon. "Attack!"

No matter how strong Mukuro was, protecting another demon seriously hindered her fighting ability. Hiei tried to help, but his now feeble spurts of flame were effective only against the weakest demons. The horde began closing in and after fighting a demon puppet and several other demons, Mukuro was getting fatigued. As yet another set of demon fangs sunk into her body, she batted the creature away before falling to her knees. The serpentine demon coiled and prepared to strike again, wanting a second taste of her. He did not get a chance as several ice shards tore off his flesh.

A flash of multicolored light burned several demons to cinders while an army of ghostly skulls bit into others. Demons were killed by energy charged yo-yos sixteen at a time while a blast of orange light left several corpses smelling of alcohol. A mighty whirlwind sent the remaining demons flying into the walls where their bodies burst open, blood and slime pouring out.

"Looks like you could use some help, sheila," said Chu. Mukuro nodded. But despite his confident attitude, Chu and his friends looked positively battered. It had been a hard fight to get through that crowd.

Mukuro looked back through the portal, where the crowds of demons were waiting. "We can't go back through the portal," she said. "We won't make it."

"Then we'll be having a little vacation in Human World," said Shishi.

"Jin, get us up to that spectator box," Mukuro commanded.

"Aye, ma'am!" The air around them became like an invisible elevator, lifting them to the window of the wrecked room. They found their way out into a poorly maintained dining hall. Unafraid of broken glass, Chu ran through one of the tall windows.

Turning back towards his comrades, with broken glass in his hair, he said, "Let's move, mates. Ain't got all day." They jumped out the window and ran, Mukuro leading Hiei by the hand.

Hiei pulled his hand from Mukuro and turned back to the mansion. "Naraku!" he shouted. "The Jagan eye only serves those worthy of its power. It understands, Naraku! It knows that I earned its power while you stole it. The Jagan will not serve you forever. Soon, the eye will betray you."

**XXXXX**

Thank you for reading my story. Also, thanks to all my reviewers including my two new ones, **aly **and **RatherFabulous.** I really appreciate it.


	16. The Well

**The Corpse**

**Chapter 16: The Well**

Miroku groaned, struggling to open his eyes. _What happened? I don't remember drinking recently. _As his eyes came into focus, the first thing he saw was Sango's face, her eyes still shut. She was inappropriately close and Miroku, being Miroku, patted his hand on her rear, clad in tight demon hide armor.

Somewhere in heaven, Buddha saw this. He knew how Sango felt about being molested, so he decided to wake her up at that very moment. Karmic law took over from there.

_Smack!_

_"Yow!"_

Miroku rubbed this latest hand-shaped mark on his face while Sango stomped away from the perverted monk.

"It's been a while since we've seen that," said Inuyasha. The half-demon was sitting cross-legged beside his friends, picking bits of wood from under his claws. Beside him were Kirara and Shippo, still recovering. "Well, now that you're awake, we should get moving. We have to find Kagome."

"How long have we been out?" asked Sango.

"Not too long," said Inuyasha. "They haven't tried to attack us since our fight with Kurama, the one who put you to sleep. But something strange happened." He told the others how a boy with tall, purple hair had morphed into an exact duplicate of himself.

"Come on," said Miroku. "We have to hurry and help Kagome." But as the monk got to his feet, the world started spinning around him. Dizzy, Miroku collapsed back onto the ground.

"Kurama's sleep potion was very strong," said Sango, leaning back against a tree. "We won't be fighting for a while."

"But we have to help Kago…" Inuyasha stopped speaking as he sniffed two familiar scents. Blood. Kikyo and Kagome's blood. Kikyo, being carried by her soul collectors, held an unconscious and bloody Kagome in her arms. As the older priestess landed, she placed Kagome into Inuyasha's arms.

"Kikyo, what happened?" asked Inuyasha.

"She fought with Yusuke Urameshi," said Kikyo. "The boy overpowered her easily."

Inuyasha let out a sigh of frustration. He wanted to beat himself up. After all, it had been him who told Kagome to go ahead and fight Yusuke alone. "I shouldn't have let her go. I should have been there to protect her."

"Your thinking like that is what caused her injuries in the first place!" Kikyo said sharply. "The reason she can't fight on her own is because she is always relying on you. You are the cause of her weakness."

Inuyasha looked away, ashamed. He could not deny any of that.

"Inuyasha, Kikyo." Miroku approached them. "We have suffered a terrible defeat and we cannot stay here."

"Miroku's right," said Sango. "Let's get back to the car."

Kikyo looked at the demon slayer strangely. "What is a car?"

"It's a vehicle," said Inuyasha.

"But only Kagome knows how to use it," said Shippo.

"No," said Inuyasha. "I've seen her drive it a hundred times. It's easy. I can handle it."

As Inuyasha reached into Kagome's pocket, pulling out a ring of keys, Shippo mentally groaned.

**XXXXX**

When Kagome regained consciousness, the first thing she noticed was that she was in pain. Her entire body ached and she struggled to move. "Inuyasha?" she called in a soft, barely understandable voice.

Strong fingers wrapped around her hand.. "I'm here, Kagome," said Inuyasha's gentle voice. "We're all here."

"Where are we?"

"We're in…um…'your house.'"

"Mm." Kagome curled back into the bed, hoping to sleep away her pain before she realized what Inuyasha had said. Her eyes snapped open and she shot up from the bed. "My house?"

"It's where your house was," said Miroku. "Spirit World has made an exact duplicate. Ayame is posing as the shrine's caretaker."

"I know you're still weak, Kagome," said Sango, "but could you tell us about what happened in your battle with Yusuke?"

Kagome leaned back on the headboard and closed her eyes. She told her friends what had happened when she had reached the compound. "Naraku was there," she told them. "They're working together."

"Do you remember exactly what Yusuke said?" asked Miroku.

Kagome shook her head. "The details are all a blur," said Kagome. "My anger got the best of me."

"Kido and Kaitou told us that Inuyasha had attacked Yusuke's mother," said Sango. "If you ask me, this whole thing stinks of Naraku."

"But Yusuke and Naraku are working together," said Kagome.

"It is possible that Naraku is simply manipulating Yusuke," said Miroku. "It's not unheard of."

"I don't see what all the fuss is about," said Inuyasha, dropping into a chair. "It's simple. Yusuke's group is a threat to us. If they're being tricked, then there's no way we can make them see it. Our only choice is to fight them."

"Oh? Did you think that way when you were fighting against Sango?" asked Miroku. Inuyasha remained silent.

Kagome decided to change the subject. "What happened after I got knocked out?"

"Kikyo brought you back," said Inuyasha. "When she found out we were coming to Spirit World property, she ran off and disappeared. Speaking of Kikyo, she said something strange."

"What's that?"

"That we were missing for the past five hundred years," said Inuyasha. "I don't understand it. Once we're through here, we can just go back to our time, right?"

"Wait," said Miroku. "It means that something is going to happen. Something that will prevent us from using the well to return to the past."

"Well, then we'll just have to stop it," said Inuyasha.

"We can't," said Sango. "It's bound to happen. It has to, or else Kikyo wouldn't have said what she said."

"Who would've thought time travel could get so complicated?" Kagome groaned. She struggled and finally rose from bed, taking a momentary glance out the window. What she saw made her jaw drop. She struggled to make her voice work before words finally came out. "_Sweet Mother of God! My car!"_

**XXXXX**

"He's over there!" Yusuke shouted, pointing. He, Kuwabara, Kurama, Koenma and Kaitou found Yana's soulless, petrified body. They crowded around him, unsure of what to do.

"Do you sense his soul at all, Kuwabara?" asked Kurama.

The orange-haired boy shook his head. "Nothing. Botan!"

The deity flew down on her oar, her blue hair tangled from wind and anxiety. "What is it?"

"Yana's lost his soul," said Yusuke. "We need you to search the area for it."

"Right!" Botan said with a quick nod. She flew off to scout the surrounding area, hoping to find her friend's spirit.

"There's nothing else we can do here," said Kurama. He and Yusuke hoisted Yana's body. "Let's go."

As they returned to the compound, Koenma noticed the look on Kaitou's face. His eye's were locked on Yana's lifeless form. His normally calm face now held the angry, disgraced look of guilt. He was holding back tears.

"Kaitou, this wasn't your fault," Koenma said softly.

"It was," said Kaitou, his voice shaking. "I shouldn't have sent him out here. I shouldn't have acted on my own like this. I should have told the rest of you or thought of a better strategy."

"Kaitou, I know how you must feel," said Koenma. "I feel the same way every time I send Yusuke and the others out into battle. Whenever they get hurt, I think that I should have done something to help them, as if their injuries were my fault. But the fact is that we're in a dangerous situation right now. Don't blame yourself for this."

Kaitou, slowly and hesitantly, nodded. The group continued their return to Genkai's compound in silence.

When they returned to the compound, Naraku was on the stairs, waiting for them. The demon stooped to examine Yana. "This is Inuyasha's work," he said. "I'm certain."

**XXXXX**

It's not my best chapter, but it's needed it to keep the plot moving forward. That's it for now. Thank you to all my readers and reviewers, including **Kage Youkai **and **Natsu-no-Hinagiku. **


	17. The Corpse

**The Corpse**

**Chapter 17: The Corpse**

Naraku watched through his Jagan eye as Yusuke conversed with the demon puppet at Genkai's compound. He had the puppet provide Yusuke with seven jewel shards and a map. Yusuke nodded to the puppet and pocketed the shards. "Kuwabara, let's go," he said.

Closing the Jagan, Naraku turned his attention to the prone demon in front of him. Itsuki lay semiconscious in one of Sakyo's demon holding cells. The Yaminade had an amazing talent for creating portals and it had taken much of Naraku's strength to create a barrier in the cell that would keep Itsuki from escaping. Absorbing Itsuki was an impossibility; Naraku's body could never hold him.

Itsuki stirred, opening a bleary eye. "Naraku," he whispered. "What do you want?"

"You know what I want," said Naraku. "The last piece of the Sacred Jewel."

The Shikon Jewel? Every demon knew its legend. What made Naraku think that Itsuki had it? "I possess nothing of the sort," said Itsuki, his voice getting stronger.

"But you do," said Naraku, smiling. "Perhaps I should explain. When the Shikon Jewel was shattered five hundred years ago, some of the pieces passed back into the wheel of reincarnation. It could have been anything, even a single blade of grass. I feared that I would have to spend centuries searching for the new embodiment of the jewel shards. But I do not, and I have you to thank for that."

"You're welcome," Itsuki said sarcastically. "But what do I have to do with the Shikon Jewel?"

"A few years ago, you prevented a soul from being taken to Spirit World and being reincarnated, along with its body. That is what I want. The last piece of the Jewel, Midoriko's reincarnation, the corpse of Shinobu Sensui!"

Itsuki slumped against the wall of the cell, his eyes wide and his breathing shallow. "Shinobu…" he whispered. "Naraku! You will not take Shinobu from me!" Itsuki's six disembodied arms materialized around him and clenched their fists. The arms struck against the window of the cell, trying desperately to break through. Each time it was struck, the wall let out a spark of red lightning. The hanyou clenched his teeth, struggling to maintain his barrier. Finally, Naraku threw open the cell door and tossed in a hive of his poisonous insects before quickly throwing the door closed again. Itsuki managed to destroy several of the insects, but the swarm was too large for him. As several stingers sunk into his flesh, his vision faded and his body collapsed. His six arms vanished.

**XXXXX**

"This place smells like ass!" Yusuke exclaimed.

"Quit your whining Urameshi, we're almost there," said Kuwabara.

"How do you know?" asked Yusuke. "You were holding the map upside-down for the first half of the trip."

"Sh-shut up! Freshman!"

"You shut up!"

The two Spirit Detectives were in a rural mountain area, walking down a dirt path past some fields. It was sparsely populated, with only a few small communities (they were too small to be called towns). The town was mostly made of small farmers who earned their living selling and eating their own crops.

"I don't get it," said Yusuke. "These dead guys we're looking for, the Band of Seven. They're humans, right? So what would Naraku want with them?"

"They must be pretty powerful. Like us."

"But why does he need them? Or us, for that matter. He's pretty damn strong. He could've entered the Demon World Tournament and done good."

"Done _well_," Kuwabara corrected him smugly.

"Shut up. Anyway, can we really trust him?"

"I know what you mean," said Kuwabara. "I get this feeling that he's toying with us, just for fun. What should we do?"

Yusuke sighed. "We made our decision and we're sticking to it. Let's just find the Band of Seven Mound."

After nearly an hour of searching, full of wrong turns and angry arguments, the detectives finally found what they were looking for. The gravestone was unremarkable, just a small wooden roof over a plain stone. Yusuke dug into the dirt in front of the stone and placed the seven Jewel Shards into the hole. Naraku had told him all about the exploits of these seven warriors. Yusuke and Kuwabara had heard all about their valiant battles and their endless crusade to aid the common man in a time where selflessness could get someone killed. Indeed, it had been this selflessness that had cost the Band of Seven their lives.

Yusuke and Kuwabara paused, expecting a flash of light or a surge of Spirit Energy. But nothing happened. "Oh, well," said Yusuke. "We did what we had to do. Let's go."

The two boys went back the way they came, past the fields of crops. "So what's gonna happen next, Urameshi?" asked Kuwabara. "What do you think these Band of Seven guys will be like?"

"Hey!" a voice called out from the fields. A group of men, carrying farm tools like weapons, approached the two detectives. Judging from the looks on their faces, they were not the welcoming committee.

"What do you want with the Band of Seven?" asked one of the men.

"Well, um…"

"If you city slickers know what's good for you, you'll get back on your bus and head back home!" said an older man.

"All right, hold it!" said Yusuke. "Exactly who were these Band of Seven guys and what was so bad about them?"

The old man entered what Kuwabara would call "storytelling mode." He cleared his throat. "The Band of Seven were mercenaries back in the Feudal Era. They were amazingly talented killers who served no one lord. Instead, they lived as ronin, taking employment in whatever battle they could find. The seven of them alone could easily take down armies. But their raids were unnecessarily violent and the warlords came to fear them. So they betrayed the Band of Seven and sent their armies to attack them. The Seven fought back tenaciously, but they were sorely outnumbered and retreated into these very mountains where they were captured and beheaded. To calm their spirits, the warlords had a small mound built in their memory."

"The Band of Seven were a bunch of murderers?" Kuwabara gasped.

"What did you think they were? Knights in shining armor?"

Without answering, the two boys ran back to the grave. When they returned, the jewels were gone and the gravestone was split in two.

**XXXXX**

"So, what now?" grumbled Rinku. After escaping Sakyo's mansion, the group of demons had wandered the surrounding forest, reluctant to go anywhere that humans could see them. "How are we supposed to get back to Demon World? I mean, some of us could pass off as humans, but look at Jin! I don't think the humans will take too kindly to a red-haired cross between a unicorn and a leprec…" Rinku was abruptly cut off as Jin's fist collided with the top of his head.

"We're going to Genkai's compound," Hiei said. Even in his weakened state, his tone left no room for argument. "It's what the old woman wanted anyway. For her home to become a safe house for demons in Human World."

"Did you say Genkai, demon?" a deep, gravelly voice demanded.

Hiei and his companions stood in a ring, back to back, ready for a fight. "Show yourself!"

"You can sense me just fine, heheh!"

"He's right," said Touya. "But it's not like anything I've ever sensed before. There's Spirit Energy, so he's human, but there's no Life Energy. His body's like a walking corpse."

"Very clever, shinobi," said the voice. The ground shook as a form, far larger than any human, emerged from the shadows. Trees snapped like twigs as he pushed them out of the way with his massive arms. The carcass of a deer dangled from one of his hands. He lifted the deer to his mouth and bit off half. The giant smiled maliciously as he crunched its bones, letting the blood run down his chin. "So, you seek Genkai. I'm afraid I can't allow that."

"Who are you?" Mukuro demanded.

"I am Kyokotsu of the Band of Seven." He smiled widely, showing teeth the size of tombstones with serrations meant to grind up his prey. "And it's been too long since I had fresh demon."

**XXXXX**

Well, another chapter finished. Now you know why I chose this title. Thank you to my readers and a shout out to my reviewers, including **JoWashington, RehdFawx, MikoMeihi, and Cheesey! **


	18. The Band of Seven Strikes!

**The Corpse**

**Chapter 18: The Band of Seven Strikes!**

Kyokotsu swung one of his massive arms, meaning to knock the entire group aside. The underpowered Hiei was hit easily. His stronger companions managed to dodge it, but not without some difficulty.

"He's big enough to make a rhino look the size of a rabbit," Chu muttered to himself. "How can somethin' that big be so damned fast?"

Kyokotsu punched Chu with a fist as big around as Chu's chest. The drunken boxer caught the fist in his arms and squeezed it, trying to break its bones.

"Hey! Let me go!" Kyokotsu shouted, tugging at his fist. Chu held fast, still unable to snap his opponent's metacarpal bones. Jin floated up behind Kyokotsu, a powerful tornado swirling around his arm, and struck Kyokotsu in the back of the head. At the same time, Touya slashed at the giant's right Achilles tendon with his ice blade. Kyokotsu roared, collapsing onto one knee. One hand clutched his bleeding ankle, the other still in Chu's grasp. Chu took this chance to leap up to the giant's face. For a moment, each looked straight into the other's eyes. Then, Chu struck him straight in the nose, crushing it. Dark blood gushed out, mixing with the deer blood on Kyokotsu's chin. Kyokotsu swept Chu out of the way with his injured leg.

Hiei cast a stream of fire onto Kyokotsu's back. It ran off as if it were nothing more than water. Kyokotsu spun around and seized the diminutive demon, holding him up to his face. The giant grinned, his teeth still stained with deer blood. Hiei looked so small and helpless, clutched in Kyokotsu's fist. Hiei struggled fruitlessly in his grasp, glaring at his tormentor.

Kyokotsu laughed. It was a laugh of amused disdain, the kind meant for a washed-up singer trying to make a comeback or a rookie trying to act like a veteran. Nothing angered Hiei more than being laughed at like that. Nothing angered him more than disrespect. He surrounded himself with flames, turning Kyokotsu's fist into a fireball. They were too weak to cause any pain, which made Kyokotsu laugh even harder. "It tickles!" he laughed.

Before he said the "les" in "tickles," a ray of light shot across his wrist. His fist was severed and Hiei was released. As Kyokotsu roared in pain, Shishiwakamaru hurled the Banshee Shriek into his throat, the long hilt protruding from his mouth.

Hiei conjured up more flames and prepared to hurl them at Kyokotsu again. Before he could, Mukuro seized him around the waist and leapt away from Kyokotsu.

"Let me go, Mukuro!" Hiei demanded.

"No! You'll get yourself killed!"

"Let me go!" Hiei roared.

"Damn it, Hiei," Mukuro shouted. "Your power is gone! You can't fight!"

Meanwhile, Kyokotsu tore out the Banshee Shriek and swallowed the blood that had spilled into his throat. He picked up his severed hand and pressed it against his wrist. There was a soft hiss as the hand reattached itself. He leaned down and did the same with his slashed Achilles tendon.

"Regenerative powers," said Mukuro. "This will take a _very _long time."

"That's all right," Rinku said with a smile. "We're not in a hurry."

"Are you sure?" asked Kyokotsu. "Because by the time you're through with me, everyone at Genkai's compound will be dead."

**XXXXX**

There were two things Yusuke hated, waiting and being rushed. Right now, he was doing a lot of the former.

The bus was nearly empty, just Yusuke, Kuwabara, the driver, and four other passengers. Yusuke vented his agitation by heckling the bus driver, telling him to drive faster. Kuwabara rolled his eyes at his friend's impatience.

"Sit down, Urameshi," Kuwabara grumbled. "It's not like we can make him go any faster. Save your ener…" Kuwabara was cut off as the bus came to a screeching halt. The two detectives were thrown out of their seats, slamming the foreheads into the seats in front of them.

"What the hell's going on?" griped Urameshi. The other passengers grumbled too.

The driver leaned his head out the window. "Hey, you! Are you insane? Get out of the road!"

"Driver, what's going on?" asked one of the passengers. The driver did not answer. The passenger approached the driver's seat. The driver still had his head out the window, but wasn't saying anything to the one who had blocked the bus. "Driver?" the passenger reached out and shook his shoulder.

The driver's head fell off.

The passenger's scream was cut off, along with his head and limbs. What appeared to be a zigzag of white light cut through the bus like a striking snake, tearing apart the bus and its passengers. Yusuke and Kuwabara, who were sitting towards the back, blasted a hole in the wall with their Spirit Energy and dove out before the zigzag could turn them into mincemeat.

Standing before the bus wreckage was a man holding a large, curved sword. His face was painted with two blue streaks falling from his eyes like tears. His hair was elaborately done, like a woman's, and his legs were bare and clean shaven.

"Who the hell are you?" shouted Yusuke.

The effeminate man licked his lips as he surveyed his opponent. "Mm. You must be Yusuke Urameshi," he said in a sultry voice. His voice hardened as he considered his other opponent. "And you must be Kuwabara." Turning back to Yusuke, he bowed. "Hey, handsome. I'm Jakotsu of the Band of Seven. It's a pleasure to meet you."

While Jakotsu was speaking, Yusuke was charging his Spirit Gun. "We're more than a match for you. You shouldn't have come alone, Jakotsu." The Spirit Gun blasted Jakotsu square in the chest, sending him tumbling through the dirt.

"You may be right, Yusuke," said Jakotsu as he got back on his feet. "But I couldn't stand the thought of sharing you with someone else. I wanted you all to myself!" Jakotsu lashed out with his trick sword, Jakotsu-to, again. The extending blade struck at Yusuke relentlessly, not giving him time to ready another Spirit Gun.

"Urameshi, hang on!" Kuwabara extended his Spirit Sword. The blade of light stretched and twisted amongst the blades of the Jakotsu-to, jamming them. "Urameshi, shoot him now!"

Yusuke didn't hesitate. He fired two blasts from his Spirit Gun. Jakotsu was badly singed by the first one and barely managed to dodge the second one. But by dodging the attacks, he was forced to let go of his Jakotsu-to, leaving him unarmed. Kuwabara let fly his Spirit Shuriken, the same attack he used against the Elder Toguro. They struck Jakotsu, but made only superficial wounds on the powerful ronin.

"You'll have to do better than that," Jakotsu taunted. He glanced at the sun, using it to tell time. "Yes, my brothers should be arriving at Genkai's compound very soon."

**XXXXX**

"That is very unwise," said Kurama. "Our forces are divided. We should wait for Yusuke and Kuwabara to return before attacking the enemy's stronghold."

"I'm afraid that that's impossible," answered Naraku. "My Jagan eye tells me that the Higurashi Shrine will have a short-handed defense tonight. A smaller group will be able to defeat them. We will not have an opportunity like this again. You have to strike now."

"Will you be joining us in this attack?" asked Kurama.

"I'm afraid that I cannot. I must check on Yusuke and Kuwabara. I will send them to you as soon as I can."

Kurama nodded. "Very well, then." As he headed back inside, he called, "Mitarai, prepare yourself for battle."

"Hang on," said Genkai. "I'm coming too. You're not leaving this old woman out of the action."

"No, Genkai," said Kurama. "I want you to stay here with the others. If we all leave, then there will be no fighters left to protect the others. Mitarai and I can handle it on our own."

**XXXXX**

Renkotsu sat in the passenger seat of what was called a "truck," staring out the window in boredom. Naraku had provided this horseless vehicle as well as the pathetic little demon who had driven it. The ronin had orders to stakeout outside the Higurashi shrine, where Naraku's enemies were hiding. When Naraku gave the order, he would strike.

Renkotsu watched with mild curiosity as two human boys climbed the stairs to the shrine. One had long red hair, the other was blond.

Renkotsu looked away as he heard the buzzing of one of Naraku's insects. "I see," said Renkotsu, listening to some inaudible message in the insect's buzz. "It's time."

**XXXXX**

"Kagome!" Inuyasha called from the bathroom.

Kagome, still weak from her fight, struggled up from her bed. "What?"

"It's that little waterfall thing you have."

"You mean my faucet?"

"Yeah, that. It's broken and water's getting everywhere."

"Hang on. I'm coming." Kagome climbed out of bed and headed for the bathroom, though she had no idea how she would fix the faucet. She decided to look beneath the sink for starters.

"Kagome!"

"What is it, Inuyasha?" asked Kagome. Perhaps there was a valve or something to shut off the water.

"Kagome, help-p-p-p-p!"

"Inuyasha?" Kagome looked up at her friend to see his nose and mouth being smothered by a hand of water reaching out of the sink. Kagome pressed her hand against the liquid arm, causing it to burst into a fine mist.

Another tentacle of water burst out of the faucet, reaching for the priestess. Grabbing Inuyasha's hand, Kagome darted out of the bathroom as a giant water monster pulled itself from the plumbing.

"Sango, Miroku, Shippo!" Kagome called. She pulled Inuyasha downstairs to find her living room filled with a swirling storm of rose petals. Again, she sensed the strange demon-human combination that was Kurama.

Kurama sat calmly on the living room sofa while Miroku, Sango, and Ayame were besieged by the razor sharp rose petals. The strange human-demon was escorted by a swarm of Naraku's saimyoushou, preventing Miroku from using his Wind Tunnel. Kurama saw Kagome and Inuyasha standing at the door and, with a wave of his hand, sent more of the deadly petals flying towards them.

"Kagome, move!" Inuyasha pulled Kagome behind him and held up an arm to shield himself from the petals.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome began, her voice shaking. The water monster was flowing down the stairs and headed straight for them, its deadly arm outstretched. "The water monster's coming!"

Inuyasha glanced at it out of the corner of his eye. "But it's not moving."

The dog demon was right. The water monster just stood there, its arm still outstretched.

The front door burst open. A blond-haired boy with wide, fearful eyes called out. "Kurama, we have to get out of here! There's…"

There was a deafening explosion and the sound of the house beginning to crumble. Kagome felt a jolt stronger than the worst earthquake and saw the bloody light of fire coming from the top of the stairs. It was as if the house had just been hit with a missile.

Thoughts of their fight forgotten, Inuyasha's group and Kurama both turned their efforts towards escape. Another blast shook the house as the living room ceiling started to cave in. Sango tore through the wall with her Hiraikotsu. Inuyasha and Kagome ran through the door while Kurama, Miroku, Sango and Ayame ran through the hole. As they emerged from the burning building, they saw Kirara, with singed fur, flying out a broken window.

"Oh my God. Shippo!" cried Kagome. "Where's Shippo?"

"I don't think you'll have enough time to look for your friend," said Kurama. He motioned towards the front of the shrine.

The torii gate at the front of the shrine had been sliced down. Standing over it was something that was neither human nor machine but a combination of both. Its flesh-and-blood right arm grasped a spear with a shining silver tip. As it adjusted the angle of its shoulder mounted cannon, it greeted its opponents with one word.

"Gersh."

**XXXXX**

Well, that's it for chapter 18. I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks to my readers and my reviewers. A shout out to **RisingSkies **and the **Haruko Sisters. **


	19. The Band of Seven Strikes! Part II

**The Corpse**

**Chapter 19: The Band of Seven Strikes! Part II**

Hidden in the shadows of the trees at the top of a hill, the poison master Mukotsu surveyed his target. According to Naraku, only the little old woman was a fighter. The boy with the frames over his eyes could forbid violence within a certain area while the taller, brown-haired young man had not fighting abilities whatsoever. He would take care of them quickly.

But it was the women that captured the mercenary's attention. They were exquisite specimens. The oldest one, with light brown hair, was a bit tall for him and the little green-haired girl looked a bit too young, even for his tastes. The girl with light blue hair was quite attractive, but Mukotsu found Yusuke's woman, the brunette, to be especially attractive. He was anxious to begin his work.

**XXXXX**

Kaitou sat hunched over a desk in one of Genkai's spare bedrooms, reading one of his school textbooks. With a groan, he slammed it shut. He had read all his books through three times. He was becoming restless, knowing that Kurama and Mitarai were out fighting while Yusuke and Kuwabara should have been back by now. One could not help but be worried.

Years of experience in chemistry labs had honed Kaitou's sense of smell, so he could detect the subtle change in the composition of the air around him. It was probably cyanide-based but he did not have time to figure it out. Without hesitation, he raised his Territory just before a portly little man with a veil over his face appeared in the doorway.

"Who are you?" Kaitou demanded.

Pointedly ignoring his question, the man said, "Your anti-violence spell is quite useless, Kaitou. It won't protect against this sleeping gas." To emphasize his power, he tossed an unconscious Koenma and Genkai into the room. Kaitou immediately began to feel drowsy. As his vision faded, his Territory disappeared and he collapsed.

**XXXXX**

"Kaitou?" Keiko knocked on his bedroom door and gasped. Kaitou, Genkai, and Koenma were lying on the floor, bound and unconscious. "Help!" she cried out. "Help!"

The others rushed to her aid. "Keiko, what…" Shizuru and the others froze as they saw the three comatose bodies laid out before them. Yukina knelt down by Genkai while Botan examined Koenma, trying to figure out what had happened to them. "It's some kind of sleep poison," said Botan, examining Koenma's skin. "It passes through the eyes and skin. It's powerful stuff. They'll be out for hours."

"We're left without any fighters," said Keiko. "What should we do?"

"We should get out of here," said Botan.

"But…" Yukina stuttered, not used to strategizing, "what if the people who did this are out in the forest?"

"It's true," said Shizuru. "What if we walk right into their trap?"

"But we can't stay here!" said Botan. "They already know that we're here. We should take our chances trying to lose them in the forest." The others nodded. Shizuru picked up Koenma, Botan picked up Kaitou, and Keiko picked up Genkai.

They ran to the front courtyard, Shizuru stopping by Genkai's room and grabbing a katana.

"Do you know how to use that thing?" asked Keiko.

"Not at all," said Shizuru.

As they reached the front courtyard, they saw a dense brown fog, flowing over the wall and creeping along the ground towards them. The girls looked around to see that the poison was flowing at them from all directions, threatening to fill Genkai's compound completely. One by one, the girls felt their bodies go limp and collapse. Shizuru's katana clattered on the ground. Standing on top of one of the walls was Mukotsu.

"Not long now," the portly chemist said. "This poison contains a strong paralyzing agent. You won't be able to move your bodies but your minds will remain quite alert. Then, Keiko, we will have some fun." Keiko did not like the way he said "fun."

Mukotsu reclined beside her prone form and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her body against his own. The putrid smell of his herbs and poisons filled Keiko's nostrils. If she'd had any control over her muscles, she would have wretched.

Mukotsu ran a warm, oily hand along Keiko's cheek and down her graceful neck. As his hand neared her chest, her mind went wild, wishing that she had a way out.

"I know what you're thinking," Mukotsu said, smiling cruelly. "You're hoping your darling Yusuke will come to help you. But my friend Jakotsu is taking care of him as we speak. Perhaps your boyfriend is already de…agh!"

Behind him, Shizuru had inched her way towards in and driven her katana into his back. Unfortunately, the blade had struck a bone and the wound was not deep. Irritated, Mukotsu sat up and yanked the sword out of his back. He stood and, looking down at Shizuru, raised the sword above his head, blade down, ready to run it through her own back and nail her to the ground.

"I would have welcomed you as a secondary bride, Shizuru," said Mukotsu, his voice soft yet angry. "But it seems you are not fit for that honor after all." And he thrust the sword down at her.

_"No!"_

A pair of hands grabbed Mukotsu's wrists. The young man expertly twisted his wrists and wrestled the weapon away from him. He tossed it away. "Leave these people alone, you bastard."

"Ah," said Mukotsu. "You're back to your old self, are you Suikotsu?"

**XXXXX**

A burst of colored light swirled around Kyokotsu. The Rainbow Cyclone Redux burned away at his flesh.

"Vile brute!" shouted Suzuka. "How does a human become a monster like you anyways?"

"You want to know?" Kyokotsu grinned and licked his lips. "By eating the flesh of demons!"

"Never realized we were so nutritious," muttered Shishi.

They struck again and again, but every injury they made was healed instantly. _How is this possible? _thought Mukuro. _And how can we beat him?_

"Mukuro!" Hiei said. "Kyokotsu needs time to regenerate."

"Yeah, so?" said Rinku.

"You've all been attacking separately. Strike him all at once, repeatedly. Don't let up!"

"It's risky," said Jin. "That's why I'm all for it!" The others nodded in agreement.

"Ready?" said Mukuro. "Charge!"

Kyokotsu laughed. "Even with all your power combined, you can't stop me." But as his opponents swarmed over him, his grin changed to a look of fear.

It is hard to describe in detail the damage that was done to Kyokotsu on that attack. When he finally managed to throw off his last enemy, his body was so badly mangled that it is difficult to say which fighter deserved credit for which wound. In a fit of rage, he charged at the weakest member of the group, Hiei. He grabbed the diminutive demon, opened his gaping mouth, and stuffed Hiei inside. A quick swallow, and Hiei disappeared.

The group was stunned. Even as Kyokotsu began his healing process, they were too shocked to move. In his weakened state, Hiei could not possibly survive Kyokotsu's belly.

"Hiei…" Mukuro whispered, her strong composure gone. Then, her face hardened and a bloody flame shrouded her body. Enraged, she charged at Kyokotsu. _"Hiei!"_

As Mukuro leapt into the air, Kyokotsu easily caught her and stuffed her headfirst into his mouth. He bit down on her left leg. Ignoring the pain, Mukuro fired a blast of demon energy through the roof of Kyokotsu's mouth and into his brain. Berserk, she tore through the roof of his mouth and clawed furiously at the gray matter, feeling it mold beneath her hands. Blood began to pour from Kyokotsu's eyes, ears, and nostrils. A blast of red light blew out one of his eyeballs from the inside. Yet he kept thrashing around in pain. Then, suddenly, it stopped. The bloody giant froze and collapsed on the ground. Mukuro blew a hole through Kyokotsu's skull and climbed out through his head.

"Mukuro, what happened?" asked Suzuka.

Silent, Mukuro opened her hand. In her palm, caked in gray matter, was a shining piece of broken crystal. Without a thought, she dropped it onto the ground as if it were a piece of garbage. Her face was devoid of emotion as she looked back at Kyokotsu's corpse.

Kyokotsu's flesh began to break down and come apart. The others looked on in amazement, but Mukuro simply stared, looking without seeing.

Then, movement. Mukuro saw a little pink object, wriggling like a worm, within the cage of Kyokotsu's ribs. Her heart jumped. "Hiei!" As Hiei broke through the rotted ribs and emerged, Mukuro ran to him and embraced the blood-and-slime covered demon.

The others watched with smiles. Though Mukuro's back was turned to them, they could all tell that she was crying.

**XXXXX**

Sorry for the length of time between updates. I hope this chapter was worth the wait.


	20. The Band of Seven Strikes! Part III

**The Corpse**

**Chapter 20: The Band of Seven Strikes! Part III**

Shippo, cowering beneath Kagome's desk, let out another cry as another explosion rocked her roof. Above the sounds of fighting and the roar of flames, Shippo could hear Kagome calling his name. He searched frantically for a way out, but was trapped under the desk by heaps of flaming wreckage.

"Kagome!" he cried out in vain. "Inuyasha! Anybody!" He was answered by a loud hiss. He looked up to see a blue blob spilling over the wreckage, extinguishing the fire. "Oh no!" he shouted. "The water monster!"

The water monster seized Shippo in its massive fist and climbed out the window, lowering itself gently on the ground and releasing Shippo. The little fox looked up at it. "You're…saving me?" The water monster slunk off to fight. Shippo looked around.

Kurama had unfurled his deadly whip, skillfully batting aside the circular blades spinning at him. The blades came from a creature that seemed part human and part machine. The machine-man spotted Shippo, drew a large hatchet from his belt, and hurled it full force at the little fox demon. Shippo flung up his arms, waiting for the blade to strike. It never did.

The weapon exploded in pink light. One of Kagome's arrows clattered to the ground amongst the broken metal shards.

Kagome was standing by the well house a safe distance away. "Shippo, get over here!" she shouted.

"Gladly!" As Shippo scrambled to the priestess's side, the machine-man's metal hand opened into a claw-like grappling hook and shot after him. Kirara jumped in front of the hook, which latched onto her tightly and pinned her to the ground.

"Kirara!" Sango shouted. She hurled her Hiraikotsu, severing the steel cable that sprung from the machine-man's arm. The Hiraikotsu spun gracefully through the air and returned to Sango's hands.

Meanwhile, Kurama was desperately fending off the discus blades that the machine-man had launched. The blades were getting faster and Kurama was beginning to tire. As he smacked one blade away, another gave a deep cut across his back. Kurama cried out in pain and in that moment of hesitation, a third blade flew from behind him, aiming straight for his neck. By the time he saw it, the blade was too close for his whip to do any good.

"Wind Scar!" The glowing attack from the Tetsusaiga obliterated the blade, turning it to a pile of scrap. "Kurama, I'll hold off the blades. You take care of the machine."

Grimacing against his pain, Kurama spun his whip in a tight circle above his head before bringing it down. The machine-man drew a katana and parried the whip in a single stroke. The Rose Whip was knocked aside but the tip of the sword was broken off. In a swift thrust, the machine-man slashed the remaining shard of his sword along the side of Kurama's neck. Blood gushed from the cut artery. One of the machine-man's powerful legs struck Kurama in the stomach. The fox demon went flying backwards, landing in a crouch.

The machine-man approached Kurama menacingly. "You are…Youko Kurama," he said in his metallic voice.

"I am," Kurama answered.

"I, Ginkotsu, shall end your legend," he said, raising his broken sword. Then he stiffened. Suddenly, there was a loud snap and his mechanical arm hung limply at his side. There was the sound of gears grinding to a halt and suddenly, a great cloud of smoke shot out from Ginkotsu's back. His legs buckled and he collapsed. Kurama heard the discus blades clattering onto the ground behind him.

Water flowed from the shoulder-mounted box that had housed Ginkotsu's spinning discus blades. The water soon floated upward and took a vaguely humanoid shape. Mitarai's water monster had attacked Ginkotsu from the inside.

Inuyasha stepped forward, readying Tetsusaiga for a killing stroke. "Time to finish you off." Just before the Tetsusaiga fell, a great wall of flame sprung up, separating them from Ginkotsu. A bald man with red markings on his face appeared beside them.

"Ginkotsu…" he said. Glaring at Inuyasha and Kurama, he shouted, "You'll pay for this!" The man held up a large black sphere and hurled it at the well house, where Kagome and Shippo were standing.

"Run!" shouted Inuyasha. "Get away!"

Kagome snatched up the little fox demon and sprinted away from the well house, right before it exploded in flames.

The wall of fire in front of Ginkotsu and the bald man flared up. When the flames died down, they were gone.

Inuyasha hurried over to where the well house once stood. There was nothing left but a smoking crater.

"Gone…" he whispered in disbelief. "The well's gone."

"We're stuck here," said Shippo.

**XXXXX**

Jakotsu retrieved his sword and, with a snap of his wrist, retracted the extended blades.

"Just who the hell are you and why are you attacking us?" Yusuke demanded.

"Naraku's orders," said Jakotsu. He eyed Yusuke up and down. "I love it when work and pleasure coincide."

"Shut up!" Yusuke's fist began to glow. "Shotgun!" Jakotsu raised his left arm to guard his face against the barrage of spirit energy. The attack did only moderate damage to Jakotsu but burned at his clothing.

"Couldn't wait to get my clothes off, eh Yusuke?"

With a shout, Kuwabara leapt high into the air, his Spirit Sword raised above his head. As he descended on Jakotsu, he made a downward cut aiming for the ronin's right shoulder. The Spirit Sword cut deep, severing bone and muscle. Jakotsu's sword arm hung limply by his side. Jakotsu looked at it with the annoyance one would show a broken nail.

"Well, it looks like the ugly brute won you this round," Jakotsu said angrily. His voice regained its flirtatious tone. "But don't think you've gotten away from me yet, Yusuke." He reached into his robe and drew out a ball the size of a marble. He smashed it on the ground, releasing a puff of thick smoke. "See you soon, darling!" he said. When the smoke cleared, Jakotsu was gone.

"Arrgh! Where did that bastard go?" growled Kuwabara.

"Forget about him. We have to get to Genkai's."

**XXXXX**

"Ah. You're back to your old self, are you Suikotsu?" Mukotsu eyed his comrade's clawed hands. "Not exactly. You're able to wield your claws without going on one of your murderous rampages. Apparently your control has improved somewhat."

The gentle-faced Suikotsu ignored the poison master's remarks. "Don't you dare touch her, Mukotsu." The inexperienced fighter went into a clumsy stance.

"And what are you going to do about it? You can't use those claws, Suikotsu. You know what happens when you're in the presence of blood." Mukotsu chuckled as he saw Suikotsu's fighting stance slump. Mukotsu reached down and roughly groped Keiko, mocking Suikotsu's inability to stop him. "In fact, maybe I should help you along." Mukotsu picked up Shizuru's sword and walked over to the unconscious Kaitou. Smiling widely, he raised the sword over his head, preparing a beheading stroke.

"No!" Suikotsu leapt at them. He grabbed frantically for the sword. In their desperate struggle for the weapon, Mukotsu plunged the blade deep into Suikotsu's stomach. Blood spurted out from the wound as Mukotsu withdrew the sword. A red stain spread down the front of Suikotsu's lower body. Petrified with shock, Suikotsu watched in horror as the blood leaked down his legs and began to pool on the ground.

Taking advantage of Suikotsu's shock, Mukotsu slung on his basket of poison canisters and hefted Keiko over his shoulder. "Come along, my dear," he said. "Let's get out of here."

As Suikotsu once again felt the familiarity of blood. Its bright red hue, its metallic scent, and its warmth. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he felt the reawakening of a snarling, bloodthirsty monster.

"No…" he whispered. "No! _Somebody help me!_"

**XXXXX**

Genkai stirred as she returned to consciousness. She struggled to move her stiff, weak body. She lay in a daze for a moment, wondering how she had gotten outside and why Koenma, Kaitou, and the girls were lying comatose on the ground around her.

Suddenly, memories flooded her mind. She remembered laying in her bed after feelings of weakness forced her to end her daily training early. She remembered her window shattering and the dark gas pouring into her room.

A cry of "Somebody help me!" snapped Genkai from her thoughts. She saw an unknown man with claws attached to his hands and blood on the front of his clothes standing in the middle of her courtyard. As adrenaline coursed through her body again, Genkai forgot her weariness and hurried over to the man.

"Who are you? What's wrong?" she asked.

"My name is…Suikotsu. Please," he grunted, as if in pain, "you must kill me."

"Stop talking like that," grumbled Genkai. "We can find a way to fix this."

"It's not the wound!" shouted Suikotsu. "Whenever I'm near blood, I…please, you have to kill me and get them out of here."

"I have no idea what the hell you're talking about!" shouted Genkai. She gasped as she saw Suikotsu begin to transform. His eyes turned completely white and green markings appeared on his face.

"Run, Genkai," were the last words he said before slashing at the old woman with his claws. Genkai dodged backwards, the claws barely ripping her tunic. Suikotsu slashed wildly. It took all of Genkai's effort to evade his swift attacks.

"Damn!" said the new Suikotsu. "That pussy doctor almost took control of me again." He turned to Genkai, holding up his claws in an expert guard. "Hey, old hag. I'm Suikotsu. The _real_ Suikotsu." He flexed his muscled arm and held out his steel claws menacingly. "So, what do you think?"

"Not too much," said Genkai. She dodged backwards as Suikotsu slashed at her stomach. She managed to duck under his attack and drive a knuckle into the soft, vulnerable flesh of his armpit, deadening his arm.

For a moment, Suikotsu stopped slashing, his wild eyes resting on the comatose Yukina. He raised his claws, ready to tear her delicate skin apart.

"Yukina!" Genkai cried out. As Suikotsu ran for the prone ice demon, Genkai fired a blast of spirit energy, striking him squarely in the back. Suikotsu was blown past Yukina and into the compound's wall.

Genkai quickly put herself between Suikotsu and Yukina. _I might be weaker than before, but that blast should have killed an ordinary man_, she thought. _But he's no demon. He's got spirit energy_. Genkai gasped as she realized that Suikotsu had no life energy.

"Just what are you?" Genkai shouted at Suikotsu.

For a moment Suikotsu froze. The green marks on his face faded slightly. Then Suikotsu, the kind, gentle side of Suikotsu, managed to gasp out two words. "Jewel shard."

_He's being kept alive with a shard from the Shikon Jewel, just like me_, Genkai thought. She dodged another slashing attack from Suikotsu. "Where is the shard?" she shouted. Suikotsu's only response was another mocking laugh and another cut. This time, his claws tore deep into her side. Bits of flesh stuck onto the blades.

Genkai dodged back, grasping her side, feeling blood seep between her fingers. _Maybe it's in the same place my shard is in. The heart. _With a cry, she drove her hand into Suikotsu's chest, breaking through the rib cage. She felt his beating heart in her hand and crushed it, tearing out as much as she could. The shard wasn't there.

As Genkai flung the crushed heart muscle off her hand, Suikotsu cried out in pain before slumping against the compound wall. Slowly, the green marks on his face disappeared. Genkai saw the kind face of a young man.

"Genkai…" he said, his voice weak. "Kill me."

"Don't talk like that!" snapped Genkai. "We can find a way to free you. Why don't I heal your broken heart?" She reached for the hole in Suikotsu's chest. "You are one tough son of a bitch, Suikotsu."

"No!" Suikotsu grabbed her wrist. "With all this blood on me, my evil personality will soon return. The Jewel shard is in my throat. You must remove it."

Genkai hesitated.

"Please! Even if you could eventually free me, it wouldn't be until I managed to slaughter all your friends. Genkai, watch out for Naraku and the Band of Seven." His words were choked off as a snarl escaped his throat. A hint of green appeared on his face.

"I'll never forget your sacrifice, Suikotsu." With a slash of her hand, she cut open his throat and pulled out the shard. The green markings faded once again, this time for good. For a moment, Genkai saw Suikotsu's kind face at peace right before his body broke down, leaving nothing but bone.

Genkai rose to help her friends. Suddenly, her legs buckled and she collapsed. She was overcome with a coughing spasm. She held her stomach and her wounded side, coughing until her throat felt raw. Even with all her depleted energy, she still managed to heal her friends of the poison that was flowing through their bodies.

By the time she finished awakening and healing the others, Genkai was barely conscious. Her hair matted with sweat, she lay on the ground. She was ready to drop into unconsciousness before…

"Keiko!" Genkai sat up suddenly. "Where's Keiko?" The sudden stress produced a fresh spasm of coughing.

"Calm down, Master Genkai," said Kaitou. "You've stressed yourself enough. Let us handle this."

"That guy with the poisons must've taken her," said Shizuru in her calm deadpan tone. "He seemed pretty eager to bone her."

"Do we know where they are?" asked Koenma.

"The forest surrounding this place is vast," said Genkai. "They could be anywhere."

"I know!" said Botan. "I'll fly over the forest and search for them." She conjured up her oar, hopped on, and flew off in search of her friend.

**XXXXX**

Mukotsu laid the paralyzed Keiko on the soft sand of the beach near Genkai's compound. With the beach, the ocean, and the setting sun, Keiko would have found the scene romantic if it weren't for her present company.

"I just love walks on the beach, don't you?" Mukotsu said breathlessly, his eyes never leaving Keiko's chest. "Though I wish we could have shared it with my other brides," he said, shedding crocodile tears. "Suikotsu has probably slaughtered them all by now. But let's not dwell on unpleasant memories. Let's just…enjoy each other's company." Mukotsu sat down uncomfortably close to Keiko. He lowered his ugly face to Keiko's, his lips puckered for a kiss. Keiko shut her eyes, waiting for his lips to touch hers. They never came.

WHAM!

Mukotsu was lying in the dirt, a lump on his head from Botan's metal baseball bat. Keiko found herself floating up into the air, Botan holding her by the wrist. The former fairy girl's healing powers purged the poison from her system and she found the strength to climb onto the oar.

"Come back here with my bride!" shouted Mukotsu. Reaching for one of his bamboo containers, he launched a cloud of deadly black smoke.

"Fly higher!" said Keiko. "The poison clouds won't be able to reach us."

"You think you can escape me? I've prepared for this!" shouted Mukotsu. He reached into a hollow, rotted-out log sitting on the beach and produced a canister that was taller than himself. Ripping off the container, the black smoke shot high into the air, killing trees, animals, and any wildlife that touched it. A strong wind blew in from the ocean, pushing the poison cloud towards its goal. The poison began chemically combining with materials from the surrounding air, growing to an unbelievable size and pursuing them at an unnatural speed. The poison was just about to overtake them when a powerful gale blew it back towards the ocean. Botan saw a familiar red haired figure flying towards them. She waved happily.

"Jin!"

"Top of the evening to ye, lasses!" he said as he flew past. He let loose another gale, blowing the cloud back towards the beach. Conjuring up a whirlwind, he trapped Mukotsu in a tornado of his own poison.

Mukotsu looked up at Jin and laughed. "It's useless! I can't be harmed by my own poison," he shouted at the wind master. His laughter was cut short when he saw a demon standing at the edge of the forest. The demon was short, humanoid, and dark-haired. But what Mukotsu noticed most was the wisp of flame in the demon's hand. "Oh no!"

Hiei tossed the flame into the poison cloud. The cloud ignited with a deafening roar, drowning out Mukotsu's cries. Walking through the inferno, Hiei found the poison master. Much of his flesh had been seared away, exposing the greasy, glistening insides. The Jewel shard in his throat was exposed.

"No! _No!_" Mukotsu gurgled as Hiei reached in and ripped the shard out.

**XXXXX**

That's it for Chapter 20. Thank you to all my reviewers including** shadowess, oblivionangel, CraZy Blue MonKey, lil1diva, **and everyone else. Don't forget to leave a review.

I've revised this chapter slightly. Why? Well, I wrote this chapter before I saw any episodes with Suikotsu and I wasn't happy with how I had written his character. Hopefully, this works better.

DXM


	21. The Attack On Naraku Begins

**The Corpse**

**Chapter 21: The Attack on Naraku Begins**

Mr. Gan, stood on the lightless dock flanked by two bodyguards, wondering where his client was. It was four-thirty a.m. He was a half-hour late. Nevertheless, he ordered his workers to start unloading the shipment from the boat.

Gan sighed in relief when he saw a black limousine drive silently up to the dock, followed by a large truck. "I hear this guy's really tricky," Gan told his bodyguards. "Be alert."

The limo and truck stopped in front of the dock. Two men climbed out of the back of the limo. One had long, dark hair. The other was completely bald.

"You must be Mr. Sakyo," said Gan.

The long-haired man smiled, as if he were amused. "Yes. I am." He looked over at the large crates. "Are those the weapons I ordered?"

"Yes. Would you like to inspect them?"

"Sakyo" turned to his companion. "Renkotsu?" The bald man approached one of the crates.

One of Gan's workers stepped forward. "You need a crowbar to…" He stopped short when Renkotsu easily pried the crate open with his bare hands.

Renkotsu peered inside in fascination. This was one of the mighty miniguns he had heard about. Ever since Naraku had resurrected him, Renkotsu had spent his time studying the marvelous weaponry of this era. The skilled machinist had quickly familiarized himself with modern weapons by studying Sakyo's less than legal arms collection. With a satisfied smile, Renkotsu shut the lid of the crate, easily pounding the nails back in with his hand. Renkotsu inspected the other crates, one by one, before saying, "Everything is satisfactory. Let's get everything onto the carriage."

_'Carriage'? _thought Gan. "Now, Mr. Sakyo, there's still the small matter of my payment."

"Of course," said Sakyo. A burst of dark miasma issued from his body, quickly engulfing Gan and his men. The black market traders gagged on the poisonous vapors as it burned at their lungs. The last thing Gan saw was his own hand in front of his face as the flesh withered away.

Renkotsu watched in fear. Not fear for Gan and his men but fear for himself. Naraku had killed these men rather than pay them. _I wonder if he'll do the same to us, _he thought as he put a hand to his neck, where a shard of the Shikon Jewel rested.

**XXXXX**

_I hate crowded rooms, _Yusuke thought. Once he had gotten back to Genkai's compound, he had seen his friends and Inuyasha's group crowded around a small table in Genkai's living room.

"So, Hiei, was it?" said Inuyasha. "Let me get this straight. Naraku turned us against each other?"

"Right," said Hiei. "Naraku is creating another tunnel to the Demon World, hoping to return demons to the Human World. He went through all this to draw out Itsuki, who possessed the last jewel shard."

"So Itsuki's jewel shard is now in Naraku's possession?" asked Miroku.

"No," said Hiei. "The shard is in a limbo between worlds which Naraku cannot reach without Itsuki's help."

Immediately, Yusuke put two and two together. "The shard is in Sensui's corpse?" he asked incredulously.

"More like the last shard _is _Sensui's corpse. The last shard is Sensui's soul, which Itsuki kept with him. Naraku believes that Sensui is the reincarnation of the priestess who first popped the jewel out."

"Midoriko?" Kagome exclaimed at the same moment Yusuke cried out, "That genocidal freak used to be a priestess?"

"What do you think we should do, Hiei?" asked Sango.

"Hang on!" Inuyasha said, standing up. "Before we listen to anything more from this runt, hand over your jewel shard!"

Hiei's red eyes fixed onto Inuyasha's golden ones. "I will not," he said coldly.

"The shards rightfully belong to us," said Inuyasha.

Hiei stood up, his fists raised. "I'm the one who killed Mukotsu. The shard is mine."

"You're an incarnation of Naraku!" Inuyasha gripped Tetsusaiga's hilt.

"He has no control over me." Fireballs flared around Hiei's fists.

"Inuyasha! Hiei! Please!" Kurama stood, grabbing Inuyasha's shoulder. "I assure you Hiei is not working for Naraku!"

"How do you know what that demon says is true? If Naraku absorbed Hiei, then he could've easily produced an incarnation that looks like Hiei. Prove that you're not a fake Hiei!"

"I can't and I won't. I'm sick of wasting time with you." The flames around his fists went out. Turning away from Inuyasha, he addressed the others. "Naraku is in Sakyo's former residence. He commands a large army of rebels from Demon World as well as the Band of Seven. We need to get into the mansion, find Itsuki, and get the shard before Naraku."

"You're leading us into a trap!" Inuyasha drew Tetsusaiga and raised it high over his head. The giant blade arched down, aiming to chop Hiei in half.

The Tetsusaiga was blocked by a sword of orange light. "You bastard. Attacking a demon that's half your power," Kuwabara growled, proud that he had insulted Hiei and chastised Inuyasha at the same time.

"What're you gonna do about it Kuwabara?" Inuyasha grinned.

"Inuyasha, SIT!" Yusuke and his friends were surprised as Inuyasha's necklace flashed and the dog demon was slammed face first into the floor. The Tetsusaiga dropped from his hand, returning to its chipped, rusted form.

Kaitou opened his Territory. "No more fighting!" he commanded.

"Well, it's good to have one sensible student," Genkai quipped.

Hiei stood. "I'm tired of this," he said. "I'm returning to the mansion to find the last jewel. Anyone who wants to come follow me." The fire demon walked out the door without looking back.

Yusuke got up to follow him, but Kurama put a hand on his shoulder. "What if that Hiei really is an incarnation of Naraku?" he said softly.

"Don't tell me you believe that dog!" whispered Yusuke.

"I'm just being cautious. I have a plan," he said, holding up a block of wood.

**XXXXX**

"Hey, Hiei! Wait up!" Hiei stopped descending Genkai's stairs to see Yusuke, Kurama, Mukuro's squad, and even Inuyasha hurrying to join him.

"Where's the oaf?" he asked Yusuke. Looking pointedly at Inuyasha, he clarified, "I mean the other oaf."

"Shut up, shorty. Even with your jewel you're no match for me," said Inuyasha.

"That is enough!" Kurama said firmly. "Hiei, lead the way."

**XXXXX**

"Lights out!" the prison guard shouted.

Sniper lay motionless on the cot in his cell, like he had for the past few days. The assassin felt empty, as if all strength and vitality had been drained from him. Indeed, he felt barely alive and had spent recent days in a state of limbo, being juggled back and forth between life and death.

When he first heard the screams of the guards outside, he thought he was either dreaming or hallucinating again. But as he sat up for the first time in days, he realized that what he saw was real. A green whip of light was slicing the guards to peaces effortlessly.

A cold voice addressed the prisoners. "You can either stay here and rot in this prison or you can come and fight for me."

"And who the hell are you?" shouted one of the prisoners.

"My name is Sesshomaru."

**XXXXX**

Hiei and the group of demons traveled through the dark, dense forest where Sakyo's mansion was hidden. The giant mansion was nowhere in sight but the air was thick with demonic energy. No one doubted that Naraku's congregation of demons was nearby.

"Tell me, Yusuke. Why didn't Kuwabara come?" asked Hiei.

"Aww, you miss him? That's so cute," Yusuke crooned.

"Shut up!" Hiei snapped, glaring at his ally. "It's not like the oaf to sit a fight out, even one he can't win. Especially one he can't win. In fact," he surveyed his group. No Kuwabara, no monk, no old woman, no demon slayer, and no priestess. "Why only demons? Where are the humans?" Hiei's voice softened slightly. "It doesn't matter. The humans would only slow us…what the?"

"I sense it too," said Kurama. "Demons!"

Seeming to emerge from the shadows of the woods, a motley horde of demons charged at the team. Yusuke wasted no time. "Shotgun!" He launched a mixed barrage of spirit and demon energy, thinning out the ranks of the demonic legion.

Kurama commanded nearby tree roots to burst from the ground to form spikes pointed towards the demons to hold them off. Jin conjured up a whirlwind, sending several demons flying into the air to burst open as they hit the ground again. Touya aided Yusuke's barrage attack with his Shards of Winter, causing more demons to collapse, only to be trampled by their comrades. Shishiwakamaru called upon the Chorus of Ten Thousand Skulls and sent his own army to meet the demonic horde. Rinku's cute but deadly yo-yo's wound throughout the crowd, cutting away at whoever they could reach. Chu, after a swig of liquid courage, charged headlong into the fray of demons, smashing in their skulls with his mighty fists.

"Chu, you fool!" shouted Suzuka. The beautiful demon pumped up his muscles and followed Chu into the demon crowd.

"Get back here!" shouted Mukuro. Her command fell on deaf ears.

Suzuka followed Chu who, in his drunken foolishness, had allowed himself to get surrounded by demons. He was holding them off well enough but Suzuka knew he couldn't last long without help. The two demons fought valiantly as all around them, demons were devoured by ghostly skulls, blown away by tornados, or ripped up by shards of ice. But the demons just kept coming, as if there were an infinite number of them.

"Chu! We can't…hold them off forever!"

"You're right, Suzuka," said Chu, fatigue showing in his voice. "These buggers just keep coming." Chu paused as something dropped on his head. "Ouch! Who threw a rock at me?" Looking at his feet, and trying to focus his alcohol blurred eyesight, he gasped. "Grenade!"

And his vision went black. The last thing he heard was an explosion.

**XXXXX**

"Got them!" said Renkotsu. A mad grin was plastered across his face as he watched the chaos below from the safety of Kagura's giant feather. Renkotsu was armed to the teeth with wondrous modern weaponry. His armor had been replaced with a bulletproof vest. Several hand grenades and pistols were strapped to his body. Laying beside him was a heavy minigun. At the small of his back hung his personal favorite, a huge .50 caliber Desert Eagle handgun with a golden finish.

"Remember our plan, Renkotsu," said Kagura. Her voice was low, as if Naraku were listening. "Take out Naraku's demons and let the Spirit Detectives through, but don't make it look like you're letting them through."

"Right," said Renkotsu. He grinned as he hefted his mingun. Down below, his targets were scurrying like ants, pulling their two injured comrades to safety. "I'll just kill one of them!" He held the switch on the minigun. Renkotsu felt the Gatling barrel whir to life before it spat out a stream of powerful bullets. Renkotsu fired indiscriminantly, destroying everything that moved below him.

"Die! Witness the power of Renkotsu's minigun!" Bullets rained down on his victims.

"You bastard!" one of Naraku's demons below cried out feebly. "We're on your…" His protests were cut off as the minigun tore him in half.

"Maniac," Kagura muttered.

Down below, Yusuke said, "Cover Chu and Suzuka." He aimed his right index finger at the gun nut. "I'll take care of that NRA wet dream." A speck of blue light appeared at his fingertip. "Spirit Gun!" A blue ray lanced out at the feather. The blast missed the feather and its occupants, but sliced through the barrel of the minigun.

Renkotsu examined his ruined weapon, then turned to glare at the boy. "That's the one I'll kill," he growled as he leapt off the feather, spraying bullets from a pair of Glock 18 machine pistols.

Shrouding himself in spirit energy, Yusuke charged head-on towards the gunman, the bullets doing little damage, even with Renkotsu's genius modifications. Raising his fist, Yusuke slugged Renkotsu in the face. The undead mercenary went flying, dropping his guns as he went.

"Those are some nice guns," said Yusuke. "Why don't you take a look at mine?" Yusuke fired his Spirit Gun. Renkotsu, weighed down with his heavy arsenal, barely managed to avoid it.

"Your outdated mysticism is no match for my technological superiority," Renkotsu taunted Yusuke as he pulled the pin from another grenade and hurled it at the Spirit Detective.

Yusuke batted the grenade away effortlessly. It exploded somewhere in the distance. "When you trash talk, Renkotsu, try not to use so many big words."

"Damn!" Renkotsu swore under his breath as he threw another grenade. This one had barely left his hand when Yusuke hit it with his Spirit Gun. Renkotsu threw up an arm to defend himself as the grenade exploded in his face. "Augh!" he cursed as the shrapnel scoured his skin, leaving his face covered in blood.

Yusuke attacked again. Renkotsu desperately drew a Browning Hi-Power, only to have it knocked from his hand before he could bring it to bear. Yusuke punched him in the face, three times in rapid succession. Renkotsu's fist struck Yusuke's unprotected stomach. Yusuke buckled for a second, giving Renkotsu the time he needed to back away. His hand curled around his golden Desert Eagle.

Yusuke leapt into the air and descended on Renkotsu. "You're dead!"

Renkotsu aimed the Desert Eagle. "You're a fool." He pulled the trigger, sending a .50 caliber bullet flying straight through Yusuke's brain.

**XXXXX**

Sorry for the long time between updates. Stuff's gotten in the way. Life, school, and whatnot. It'll be a miracle if I have any readers left. Still, I'd like to thank all my readers and reviewers. You guys make writing worthwhile.


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